One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has hit out over the “rape of children” and blasted those who falsely claim Aboriginality during a fiery debate over Closing the Gap policy.
Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe interrupted several times during Senator Hanson’s speech and accused Senate president Sue Lines of failing to deal with racism in the chamber.
Senator Hanson had earlier criticised government policies that provide assistance based on Aboriginality, arguing they should instead be based on need and had been left open to rorting and fraud.
“We’ve constructed an industry in this country that’s created division – division based on race,” she said.
“Aren’t we all Australians, regardless of our culture, race or background?”
The Queensland senator said 980,000 Australians had identified as Indigenous at the last census.
“I’m sure it will rise to over a million people (at the next census) because between the 2021 census and the one prior to that it rose over 25 per cent in the number of people claiming Aboriginality, and yet the population only increased by eight per cent,” she said.
“It’s like tick the box. You tick the box, well you’re going to get government assistance, and a lot of these people are not even Aboriginal. (They) haven’t got any Aboriginality.
“It’s based on let’s tick the box. And then these government departments aren’t game to question you because you’d be called a racist. So you can go and claim Aboriginality.”
Senator Hanson said the rise in the number of people claiming Aboriginality was reducing the amount of government assistance available to people in need.
“This division must stop,” she said.
“Once you stop the division, get rid of who’s Aboriginal, who’s Indigenous. Who’s Australian? We are all Australians and should be treated on an individual needs basis.
“When I have constituents out there, families, living in their cars, can’t get a roof over their head, that’s where the needs are.”
Senator Hanson then raised the issue of child sexual abuse, prompting a furious response from Senator Thorpe.
“It breaks my heart to hear about these young children being raped, because no-one wants to interfere or say anything because it’s cultural,” Senator Hanson said.
“What an absolute disgrace, and the president should be in here to stop racism. She needs to go.”
Senator Hanson was allowed to continue her speech.
“Children are being raped out there, as young as two, and it’s a fact,” she said.
“If the truth hurts, it bloody hurts me. And it’s disgraceful for this to happen.”
Senator Thorpe used her speech to hit back at Senator Hanson.
“It’s very disappointing to see some so-called senators who represent absolutely the filth of this country, which is racists out there, that we know contributes to incarceration, contributes to ill-health, contributes to so much hurt and division in this country, because of the racist words that come out of Pauline Hanson’s mouth,” she said.
When Senator Lines asked Senator Thorpe to withdraw the comment, she responded: “Why can’t you deal with the racism in this chamber, President? What are you doing about the racism in this chamber President?”
Senator Thorpe eventually withdrew the comment.
Read more on Sky News Australia
