I’m not exactly breaking any ground by criticising Pauline Hanson; 20 years of calling her a racist dickhead hasn’t done anything to stop her ending up back in the Senate with a not-insignificant team of similarly backwards senators – but, in saying that, it is extremely cathartic, so: Pauline Hanson is a racist dickhead.
Tonight was her maiden speech for re-entering the Senate, and it very deliberately echoed the absolutely batshit 1996 maiden speech she gave when she entered the House of Representatives.
She referenced how in ’96 she had said that Australia was at risk of being “swamped by asians”, and without addressing how that actually didn’t happen (whatever that would entail), said that we are now at risk of being “swamped by Muslims” – again, whatever the fuck that would actually entail.
.@PaulineHansonOz: ‘we are in danger of being swamped by Muslims’ #auspol https://t.co/G0EpVAicgj https://t.co/mOsGaHdr2f
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) September 14, 2016
Say what you will about her, she’s definitely consistent, she took the time to spout her usual rubbish about Muslims coming here and trying to enact Sharia law:
.@PaulineHansonOz: Muslims wants to see sharia law introduced to Australia #auspol https://t.co/G0EpVAicgj https://t.co/fPVKRlhrx0
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) September 14, 2016
Unlike everyone else in the room who apparently have constitutions of steel, the Greens clearly had had enough of her shit and walked out en masse from the chamber around the nine minute mark, as she blamed every single one of Australia’s ills on the presence of Muslims.
In what experts are calling a “deeply unsurprising move” she also whipped out the very favourite line of racists everywhere:
“If you are not prepared to become an Australian and give this country your undivided loyalty, obey our laws, respect our culture and way of life, then I suggest you go back where you came from.“If it would be any help, I will take you to the airport, and wave you goodbye with sincere best wishes.”
If you’re an absolute sadist, you can watch the whole thing, or skip to 5:15 to see the airport offer:
One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson’s maiden speech to the Senate #auspol https://t.co/RLnQsZN1EU
— ABC News (@abcnews) September 14, 2016
She also took some potshots at fellow senator Derryn Hinch, joking that her speech wouldn’t be a rambling 45 minute address like his, and checking if he was still awake to hear it.
Australia, what have you done.
Source and photo: Twitter / @abcnews.
