Pauline Hanson has been condemned by senior members of the Albanese government and community groups for an inflammatory interview with far-right British activist Tommy Robinson in which the One Nation leader lamented the end of the White Australia policy and accused Muslim Australians of rorting the NDIS.
As One Nation insisted it was united after this masthead reported on internal discussion of tensions between Hanson and Barnaby Joyce, images emerged of Hanson at a star-studded, lavish Dolce & Gabbana fashion show in Sicily earlier this week.
In her interview with Robinson, who has a history of criminal convictions, Hanson said that Australia’s problems with immigration began when the Whitlam government “opened up and got rid of the White Australian [sic] policy then they started bringing in the different migrants”.
She then claimed that many Muslim migrants had migrated to Australia to access welfare payments and “rip off” the National Disability Insurance Scheme, while acknowledging other Australians were also rorting the system.
Multicultural Affairs Minister Anne Aly rounded on Hanson’s remarks, saying: “Comments that seek to divide Australians and undermine our social cohesion should be called out, particularly when they rely on false and inflammatory claims.
“Wrongfully blaming migrants fuels fear, fractures communities and distracts from the issues that matter.
“Political leaders should be held to account and their comments scrutinised.
“We’ll continue to stand up for Australians and we understand that multiculturalism is one of our greatest strengths.”
Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi said Hanson’s podcast appearance was “scary stuff, but unfortunately it is not surprising”.
“Harking back to a white Australia and piling hate on migrants is just blatant, disgusting, disgraceful racism,” she said.
The Federal Court in 2024 found Hanson had racially vilified Faruqi in a post on X from two years earlier.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor was less forceful, saying that he did not intend to listen to Hanson’s interview with Robinson.
Asked whether Hanson should have appeared on the podcast, he replied: “That’s a matter for her.”
Gamel Kheir, spokesman for the Lebanese Muslim Association, accused Hanson of fomenting a “race war” in Australia.
“She’s blaming Muslims for all the ills of the world and she needs to be called out for what she is: a racist ratbag.”
One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce said on Thursday he did not “support so much of what Tommy Robinson does” but that “it’s incredibly important that we understand the social dynamic and how that came about”.
On Friday, Joyce rejected claims by party insiders, revealed by this masthead, that cracks were emerging in his relationship with Hanson, telling Channel Nine’s Today program they are “great mates” and have a constructive relationship.
One Nation Senator Sean Bell said it was a “fantasy” to say Hanson and Joyce were at odds as he declared that “One Nation is the most united party in the entire country”.
“If you’re looking for division, look no further than the Liberal Party,” he told Sky News.
Hanson’s appearance at Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Moda showcase in Taormina on Tuesday, first reported by The Daily Mail, is likely to revive debate about whether her high-profile European trip, during which she was pictured at a resort with Rinehart, was a political misstep at a time many of her prospective voters are struggling with the cost of living.
Pop star Jennifer Lopez also attended the event, as did White Lotus star Theo James and Norwegian football star Erling Haaland.
Assistant Minister for Citizenship Julian Hill said: “It is up to Senator Hanson to please explain why she is spending so much time on the other side of the world talking to a discredited convicted criminal and how that does anything to help Australians.”
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Matthew Knott is the foreign affairs and national security correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X, Facebook or email.From our partners
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