Pauline Hanson had plenty of reasons to celebrate on Saturday night but was far from amused at a cheeky offer floated by NSW Labor senator Sam Dastyari.
The Queenslander was being interviewed live on Channel Seven, when Dastyari, a guest analyst for the broadcaster’s coverage, offered to take her out for a halal snack pack – a kebab shop delicacy of increasing popularity.
After commending the nationalist stalwart on her historic return, Senator Dastyari overstepped the mark with his choice of cuisine when inviting the incoming Senator out for a celebratory feed.
“It does look like you’ll be joining us in the Senate. It’s an amazingly interesting place, and I’m sure you’ll make it more interesting,” Mr Dastyari said.
“And, Pauline, right now I will invite you to join me in Sydney, and I will take you out for halal snack pack out in Western Sydney, whenever you want.”
Ms Hanson was not amused.
“It’s not happening, not interested in halal, thank you,” she said, waving a finger in the air.
“I’m not interested in it. I don’t believe in halal certification,” she railed, citing a dubious statistic that “98 per cent of Australians” opposed it.
The Labor senator then quickly wished her congratulations for her victory as the conversation petered out. Dastyari then shared the exchange on his Facebook page, where it was viewed over 300,000 times by Sunday morning.
Food certified as halal meets the requirements for permissible consumption under Islamic law, with the post-pub kebab its most well-known incarnation in Australia’s suburbs.
Dastyari has waxed lyrically about Halal Snack Packs in the past, including in the Senate, and his antics on Saturday night were met with adulation from members of the Halal Snack Pack Appreciation Society, a Facebook group which boasts over 145,000 members, and is used to exchange reviews of HSPs from various kebab shops.
