Greens Senator Faruqi: 'My Australianness Has Conditions'

When asked about her childhood, Greens senator Mehreen

When asked about her childhood, Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi offers a telling glimpse into the person she has become. The reflection, shared during a recent interview, reveals how early experiences shaped her current perspective on belonging and identity in Australia.

Faruqi, who was born in Pakistan and moved to Australia in her twenties, said that despite decades of calling this country home, she has never felt fully accepted. Her sense of being Australian, she explained, feels conditional—a sentiment that has grown sharper amid recent political debates on race and national identity.

The senator pointed to moments when her loyalty and citizenship have been questioned, often by those who see her faith or background as foreign. She described these encounters as exhausting, yet familiar, noting that many migrants and their children share the same burden of having to prove their place in society.

Faruqi also addressed the wider context, arguing that

Faruqi also addressed the wider context, arguing that discussions about 'Australian values' sometimes serve as a mask for exclusion. Rather than engaging with the substance of who Australians are, she said, such rhetoric focuses on who does not belong—a dynamic that undermines the country's multicultural foundations.

Despite the frustration, Faruqi remains committed to her work in parliament, championing causes from climate action to social justice. Her own experience, she said, fuels a determination to build a society where no one has to negotiate their identity for acceptance.

For her, the path forward is not about assimilation but about genuine inclusion—where being Australian is not a privilege granted conditionally, but a right shared equally by all who call this land home.