Hanson scoffs at Taylor’s anti-immigrant pitch
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has claimed she is copying Angus Taylor’s policies but will not deliver on them after the Liberal leader made his first major policy speech to toughen his stance on immigration by rejecting the Refugee Convention and insisting all permanent visa holders speak English.
Labor’s Tony Burke also accused Taylor of appealing to Hanson voters by calling for Australia’s immigration system to introduce values-based discrimination.
Taylor’s remarks to the Menzies Research Center on Tuesday morning evoked post-war European immigration as the gold standard and detailed excerpts of speeches published the night before, which claimed that large numbers of self-serving immigrants were becoming a burden on the country.
Taylor cited last year’s Bondi terror attack, “genocidal marches in major cities”, antisemitism and radical Islamist preachers as examples of falling immigration standards, as he laid out his argument for increased social media screening and tying visa requirements to an Australian values statement.
“These are the consequences of an immigration system where standards have been eroded,” he said.
NSW Liberal leader Kellie Sloane and several federal colleagues backed Taylor’s speech; this speech also revealed that the Coalition would restrict Labour’s 5 per cent house deposit scheme to Australian citizens; but otherwise the speech was condemned by Labour, the Greens and refugee advocates.
Hanson welcomed the Liberal Party’s new message. “I’m glad to hear Angus Taylor is listening to my policies, he had to do so after our rise in the polls and the result in South Australia,” he said.
“But do I trust they’ll deliver the results the way One Nation did? No, because the Liberal Party is full of moderates… It’s the same rhetoric, but they won’t deliver. I don’t think they’ll go far enough.”
Hanson trailed the Coalition in key national opinion polls, causing an identity crisis for the Liberals as immigration became a heated political issue around the world.
Labor migration is tightening environments and levels have fallen after hitting record highs in the wake of the pandemic, but annual arrivals still remain above the long-term average. Research shows that local concerns about immigration coincide with a rise in concerns about housing and the economy.
On Tuesday, Burke said that “no line in the speech is going to provide an extra job, create an extra home, or keep anyone safe.”
“[Taylor’s] “The insult has nothing to do with the national interest and is all about sending a One Nation tone,” he said. “Millions of Australians will be asking why the Liberals have a problem with their parents, who don’t speak very good English but are great Australians.”
Taylor argued Labor was “cutting numbers and raising standards” after claiming the government would never reduce immigration numbers or protect Australia’s way of life.
Taylor, echoing former Liberal prime minister John Howard, who was in the audience, explained that plans to designate certain countries as “safe countries” would mean asylum applications from those places would be assumed to be fraudulent.
“If a citizen of a safe country is in Australia and requests protection, their application can be expected to be rejected and their deportation may be expedited,” he said.
“To those who say we will violate the Refugee Convention: We will decide who deserves protection and under what conditions that protection will be provided.”
The speech also targeted the 65,000 non-citizens who took advantage of loopholes in the asylum system to remain in Australia after exhausting their protection claims, and the 1300 Gazans who arrived in Australia following the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October, which Taylor said posed a risk to the country and needed to be re-examined.
The Refugee Resource Center called the speech, without evidence, a “hateful attack on immigrant communities.”
“He made clear that the coalition intends to copy Donald Trump by blaming immigrants rather than fixing the problems created by politicians,” said Jana Favero, deputy chief executive.
“Angus Taylor’s comments today not only undermine our refugee protection system and our right to asylum, they also demonize families fleeing persecution. It seems the Coalition has not yet learned that our community demands unity and compassion from our leaders.”
Moderate NSW Liberal senator Maria Kovacic defended Taylor’s speech, saying the point was “we are calling for time to address unfounded asylum claims and abuse of the system”.
“This also sends a signal to extremists and radicals that they are careful and that the almost open-door policy will no longer exist. We will be screening at a greater level than before and people will not be able to come here and spew their hatred,” he said.
But another Liberal MP, who wished to remain anonymous, criticized the speech as “performative” and suggested Taylor was uneasy about One Nation’s growing support.
“ASIO is already looking at social media, it’s not something new, it’s being done. The talk is about populism arising from the fear of losing its own base… and the Farrer by-election,” the MP said.
“If it [Taylor] he could have stuck with economics and sold an immigration system based on our brand. His strength is economy, he must stick to it. “But he’s struggling right now, so he’s entered the culture wars.”
Independent MP Zali Steggall said Taylor’s comments risked “fueling hateful and divisive narratives about immigration”.
“It unfairly targets communities that contribute enormously to Australia’s society and economy and distracts from the real policy challenges we need to address,” he said.
Greens senator David Shoebridge said: “The coalition’s plan to reintroduce a 2026 version of the white Australia immigration policy shows they have been captured by extremists. Angus Taylor’s attack on Palestinian refugees from Gaza confirms this.”
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Natassia Chrysanthos is a Federal Political Correspondent. He has previously reported on immigration, health, social issues and the NDIS from Parliament House in Canberra.Connect with: X or email.
James Massola is the chief political commentator. He was previously national affairs editor and Southeast Asia correspondent. He won the Quill and Kennedy awards and was a Walkley finalist. Connect securely to Signal @jamesmassola.01Connect with: X or email.
