For everyone anyone who is alarmed by the fact that One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has been elected to the Senate in Queensland, perhaps we should take a deep breath. Hanson may have learnt a lot from her time in politics, and grown to appreciate the multicultural landscape that makes Australia such a diverse and brilliant – OH MY GOD SCRATCH THAT SHE’S JUST GIVEN HER FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE SINCE BEING ELECTED.
And it’s worse than we could have possibly imagined. Because in the two decades since Hanson first made the racist, narrow minded remarks that made her something of a national joke, she hasn’t learnt a thing.
Here are the eight most bizarre comments she made as she addressed the press in Brisbane.
She doesn’t want a plebiscite for marriage equality. She wants a referendum (huh?)
On marriage equality Hanson argued, “Our policy is to have a referendum rather than a plebiscite and, if not, then it comes to a conscience vote by every elected member on the floor of parliament.”
She explained, “Why I’m calling for a referendum is that to change the wording in the constitution, which is section 51 of the Australian constitution, and it just defines the word “marriage.””
Of course, one clever Twitter user pointed out that it isn’t actually the constitution that defines marriage. It’s the Marriage Act of 1961. But hey, surely we don’t expect our politicians to get bogged down in the details.
She says ‘it’s been proven’ that you ‘don’t have a full burqa’.
According to Hanson, “A lot of countries around the world don’t want Islam.”
“We pull back… You can’t deport the Muslims that are here… It is that you have our values, our culture and our way of life, that’s in Australia.
“You don’t have a full burqa, that’s been proven in other countries around the world that have banned the burqa in Government areas, schools and educational places.”
It’s not clear what’s been ‘proven’, it sounds like maybe she just doesn’t like the burqa. Although she fails to offer any kind of argument as to why.
“You don’t keep putting up mosques and it’s not me, it’s our society that are on the streets protesting against the building of mosques.”
…We think it’s probably just you, Pauline.
She wants to ban Islamic schools.
Apparently, Islamic schools are directly linked to terrorism on our streets.
Hanson said, “I’d like to know what they’re actually teaching in those schools and what’s being said in the mosques.
“You can’t deny the fact that in these mosques they have been known to preach hate towards us. Is that a society that we want to live in? I don’t believe it is.
“Why don’t we investigate this further to ensure that we don’t become like the place many other countries around the world are and we’ve seen it happen in Denmark and England and Germany and France and Tunisia, Egypt, you know, and America. Everywhere.
“Do you want to see terrorism on our streets here? Do you want to see our Australians murdered? And if I’m so wrong and Muslims feel that way, why don’t I have them standing beside me saying, “Yes, we value the Australian way of life. We’re against Islam, against all this.” They don’t come out strong because they can’t do it.”
…Maybe because you’re trying to ban their schools and their places of worship? Oh, and you’re calling them terrorists. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
She argues ‘We are a Christian community.’
Considering Australia is a secular country, technically we’re not a Christian community. But let’s not let facts get in the way.
Hanson says, “If you actually look at it, what I’m talking about is the mix and the make-up that [Islam] will actually destroy our culture and our way of life.
“We are a Christian country and that’s what I’m saying is we have never ever had any issues or problems or fear in our country from any other religion. That’s fact.”
True. There have been absolutely no issues stemming from the Christian Church ever in Australia. No problems at all. No fear. Definitely not right now.
I think Pauline Hanson probably isn’t across the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Maybe she’s just not into Royal Commission’s in general.
BUT WAIT. She wants a Royal Commission into Islam.
She’s shared this one before. While it doesn’t make any much sense to have a Royal Commission into a religion, Hanson says “I will not back away from that.”
But guys, she’s not only bent on the whole Islam thing. She said, “I think that there are many other issues and I’m not just on about Islam.
“I’d like first a Royal Commission into the banking and finance sector.”
So vague. So, so vague.
Speaking of vague, she said her top priority was “cleaning up the Family Law Act and the child support.”
Hanson argued that she would “like to work with every member of parliament to clean up our Family Law Act and the child support (sic).”
“It disturbs me greatly to see so many fathers and women that are actually mothers who are suiciding. When I was in parliament, this was the biggest issue coming across any member of parliament’s desk and yet nothing has changed, if not it’s worse. It’s an absolute disgrace.”
This sounds like a serious issue. Although it’s not exactly clear how she plans to tackle it.
She says we’re being ‘swamped with Asians.’
You might not have noticed, but according to Hanson, Asians are a big problem.
“You go and ask a lot of people in Sydney, at Hurstville or some of the other suburbs.
"They feel they have been swamped by Asians and regardless of that now, a lot of Australians feel that Asians are buying up prime agricultural land, housing, you ask people in Melbourne how they feel about it as well."
I... I personally don't feel swamped by Asians.
Finally, she wants us all to know she's definitely not racist.
When asked whether her policies were racist, she responded, "There is nothing racist in it. I have the right to an opinion..."
"What I'm saying is let's get back to the Australia where we as a nation had a right to have an opinion and have a say.
"Clearly, the way our nation is going is not in the right direction and my opinion and my policies were clearly accepted by the Australian people just last Saturday."
*Bangs head against wall while questioning democracy*
Top Comments
It's easy to get distracted by all the negatives about Pauline Hanson - blatant racism, dangerously stupid views about Australian identity, general lack of logic and reason etc. Putting that aside though she also offers nothing positive - she has no policies of substance, no new thinking on key national issues, no great economic, health or education plans. She is literally a mouthpiece without a policy. What a sad day that she is back in national politics.
Distracted, that a superbly hate filled person will fuel hated and extremism. Anyone that is not white, Anglo, Christian is on her hate list. She is incapable of forming a sentence, let alone positive change. The fact that she just denied all child sexual assault survivors a right to be believed should stand alone as a monumental injustice. Christian churches even in modern times have caused incredible damage. How ignorant to dismiss this to attack the religion she doesn't like. If you genuinely cared about a better Australia you would see each issue on its merit, not attack based on colour of your skin, ethnicity, religion etc.
I know another politician who was against a particular faith, too. Remember how that one turned out? Views like this are not acceptable in a multicultural society like Australia's. We need to respect other people's culture.
Sharia Law is not going to happen in Australia because it is against many of our own laws. The burqa - what's the problem there? Are you just afraid of it because it's different? And a Royal Commission into Islam - does she not know what it is? Seems like she should have figured that out before forming her views about it!
Sharia Courts are already being held in parts of Sydney, relating to divorce settlements. There are so many Sharia Courts in England, the British Govt has appointed a secular judge to oversee them. In a secular society such as Australia, everyone has a right to talk about all religions and their impact.
Please provide a link proving that sharia courts are being held in Sydney.
There is actually no reason why Australia can't have Sharia courts. I live in the UK and there are a bunch of them here - even though they fly in the face of UK law.
http://www.theaustralian.co...