‘I love it’: Pauline Hanson outlines plans for ‘mass deportations’ from Australia
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has said she supports mass deportations from Australia and plans to emulate the hard-line policies of her far-right UK counterparts.
Hanson is in Europe, where he has been attacked by both sides of the political spectrum after he was photographed holidaying with mining magnate Gina Rinehart at a luxury Italian hotel and attending a Dolce & Gabbana fashion show.
He also appeared on a podcast with far-right extremist Tommy Robinson and spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference in London; here he called for reduced immigration and criticized trans rights.
He appeared on Seven’s Spotlight on Sunday night, where he was filmed meeting Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe, who has been touting plans for “mass deportation” of foreign nationals.
Asked whether he supports the policy and whether he would like to see a similar scheme in Australia, he told Spotlight: “I love it.”
“That’s exactly what England wants to do here.”
When asked how he would implement such a program and the logistics of it, he said: “These are things that will be discussed with the relevant authorities to see the best way forward.
“I’m not going to give you the politics of running away on how I’m going to deal with this here.
“This will be discussed… as with everything in politics, I am discussing this with the people involved.”
He said he supports deporting “those who are in the country illegally.”
Asked if he regretted saying in his Press Club speech that Australia should be a “monoculture”, he said: “God, no.”
“I’m not dragging them to come to Australia,” Hanson told the programme.
“They choose to come to Australia. Why do you think they chose to come to Australia? Because it’s the best country.”
During the programme, he and Robinson were filmed visiting parts of Britain with large immigrant populations.
“I hate seeing burqas,” she told the programme.
“These women are covering up, I can’t stand it.”
Robinson explains: “From this point on, every shop, every workplace, every house, everything is Muslim.”
“No, I don’t want that to happen in Australia,” Hanson replied.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has several criminal convictions, including assaulting an off-duty police officer.
Asked whether it was appropriate for him to meet Robinson, given that he had been refused entry to Australia due to his character, Hanson said: “I’m listening to his experiences here in Britain.
“What happened to his country, to the town where he grew up?”
When asked if he regretted his previous statements describing Islam as a “disease”, he said “no”.
“I see (Islam) as incompatible,” he said.
Asked if the million-plus Muslims living in Australia would be offended by his remarks, he said: “Does anyone think how I could be offended by what’s happening to the Australian cultural way of life?”
