'Australia first' senator Ralph Babet's new fashion line not made in Australia

"Christian nationalist" Senator Ralph Babet's new fashion line, which includes Australian flag towels, mugs and socks, is made in South America and Asia.

The lone United Australia Party senator launched "Staunch by Senator Babet" this month, a line that carries shirts with political and religious slogans. 

Among them are shirts depicting the senator smoking a cigar, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with the caption "zero testosterone detected", a shirt featuring "the world is controlled by Satanic paedophiles", as well as shirts with biblical references.

The ABC contacted the support line for Senator Babet's clothing brand and was told that the products were mostly made in South America and Asia, and then sent to the United States or another country for screen printing.

Senator Babet confirmed the products were manufactured offshore, with screen printing done in Australia.

After the ABC spoke directly with Senator Babet, a new T-shirt design appeared on his website calling to "defund the ABC", which notes that other parties and senators also sell merchandise.

Senator Babet entered parliament on a platform of putting Australia "first", and in his first speech to parliament called on Australians and the parliament to support local manufacturing.

"We must become a nation which makes things again. Our manufacturing sector has been decimated and sent offshore, once again at the behest of unelected global bureaucrats. Let's take the brakes off our businesses and entrepreneurs. Let them work. Let them produce. Let them create wealth," Senator Babet said in 2022.

"We need to ensure that we give Australian businesses strong support and an unencumbered legislative pathway so they can grow, compete and become major players on the world stage."

Senator Babet told the ABC he was not using an Australian manufacturer because it was cheaper to make clothing overseas, and high taxes and energy costs made it prohibitive to manufacture onshore.

"If you can find a T-shirt manufacturer in Australia, I would use them, but there isn't one," Senator Babet said. 

"These days everything is made in China."

Senator Babet has recently used clips of his speeches to the Senate to promote his brand on social media, with for-sale shirts and links to his website overlaid on videos where he advocates for more limited government.

But he told the ABC the fashion line was a personal project and self-funded, with no parliamentary resources used on the brand.

His fashion project would not support the United Australia Party but instead would go towards advertising for causes he supported, such as lowering migration.

The senator said it had not yet been declared because 'Staunch' was not yet making enough money to warrant formal disclosure.

Labor attacks attendance record of 'Ghost of the Senate' 

In February, Senator Babet announced he would not re-contest his position when his term expired in 2028, saying he had "failed" as a senator to protect free speech.

Senator Babet was the only successful candidate who ran under Clive Palmer's United Australia Party banner at the 2022 election, despite the mining billionaire spending $117 million on that campaign through his company Mineralogy.

On Monday, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher taunted the senator over his attendance in the Senate, after his question was handed to One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts to be asked.

"I think that's the second week in a row you've had Senator Babet's question. You lucky guy! I wonder where the ghost of the Senate is," Senator Gallagher said.

"We never see him anymore, do we? I noticed he did launch a clothing range a few days ago though, so he had time to do that."

Senator Babet has the second-highest number of unexplained absences from parliament this term, after One Nation Pauline Hanson.

The Victorian senator has missed 10 out of 64 days of this parliament, with four of those being absent without leave according to Senate statistics — though the senator disputed those absences.

He has also only asked five of the 13 questions allocated to him for Question Time this term.

Senator Babet said Senator Gallagher was a "mean girl".

His office told the ABC that Senator Babet's absence over the sitting fortnight in August, for which he was granted leave, was in order to extend his family holiday in Europe following the five-week winter break.

His absences are within the rules for senators — under the Constitution, senators can lose their seat if they are absent from the Senate without permission for two consecutive months.