‘Un-Australian’: Backlash to Pauline Hanson ‘white privilege’ speech

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is facing fierce backlash to a controversial speech in London.

Hanson declared she would “not apologise for being white” at the conservative conference, while Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie claimed conservatives were “at war” with “left-wing globalists.”

The pair, who both spoke at separate speeches at the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) Great Britain conference on Saturday, also attacked trans rights, sharia law and migration.

Hanson, who has spent the past few weeks travelling the country, also doubled down on her defence of a meeting with far-right figure Tommy Robinson in her speech at the event, to a half-empty room.

“I’m getting the feedback in Australia from the media saying, ‘How dare I associate with Tommy Robinson, and how dare I speak with him, and how dare I go up to Luton to see what’s happened there’,” Hanson told the conference.

“[But] do I want our country to become like England, no!

“And do not apologise for being white.

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“I’m sick of hearing about white privilege. We’re human beings. We must learn from the experience of the past, by the mistakes that have happened.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said there was nowhere better to be than Australia.

“When I have the opportunity to represent Australia overseas, I talk Australia up, I don’t talk Australia down,” he said.

Shadow Housing Minister, Andrew Bragg told ABC’s Insiders: “The idea that there’s a spectre of transgender people taking over Australia I think is insane.”

Deputy Liberal Leader Jane Hume call Hanson’s comments “unnecessary”, “divisive”, “inflammatory” and “totally un-Australian.”

In a speech of her own, McKenzie also gave an impassioned plea for conservatives in the English-speaking world to come together and “be brave in our public conversations.”

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“The people need leaders who are brave enough to face the enemy, strong enough to fight them, and in the end, we will defeat them,” McKenzie said.

“If you love your country and respect your past and want to build a future for your children, I believe you shouldn’t be apologising for discriminating about who can come and live in your country, not on race, but on values.”

“We need to professionalise, because our opponent is real, dangerous and wants to destroy us. And our own compassion, kindness, tolerance, all those great Christian values, are literally allowing them to do it to us

“Do not mistake. We are in a war and we have to stand together and fight.”

The speeches were part of a days-long event, however Hanson’s address was sparsely attended, with reports from inside the venue indicating there were swaths of empty seats in the crowd.

Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart, a supporter of Hanson, and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, did not attend her speech despite also being at the conference.

Hanson also lashed out at climate change policy, sharia law and the rights of trans women to play sport, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

She called an Australian court “stupid” for ruling in favour of trans people in the case of Roxanne Tickle and the Giggle for Girls app.

In that case, the Federal Court of Australia ruled in favour of a transgender woman – Tickle – after she was kicked off the app because of her gender-related appearance.

“There are only two sexes: male and female. That’s all,” she said.

“We have men getting involved in female sports. They’re actually men. We have a big problem.”

She referenced a similar situation in the UK, where the Supreme Court ruled in favour of a Scottish women’s group that rejected claims for trans people to be defined as women.

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“You got it right, and I’m glad you did,” Hanson said. “We don’t learn. We’re too stupid over there.

“There’s going to be so much psychological damage that’s going to be done to our future generations.”

McKenzie also touched on similar themes, calling Australia the “most woke” country in the English-speaking world.

“Nobody asked Australians if they agreed that a man could be a woman; asked them whether it was OK for men to compete in women’s sports, to be housed in women’s prisons. All these decisions were made without the people’s permission,” she claimed.

Hanson insisted One Nation was riding high despite the party’s recent dip in the polls amid her European trip and her maiden address at the National Press Club in June.

She called on her supporters to “stand up and fight”, saying they would “be in a hell of a place” if they didn’t.

“And our children and grandchildren will never understand, you know, what our history is about, where we belong,” she said.

“One Nation has a very good opportunity at the next election to possibly be government, be opposition, or hold the balance of power,” she said.

“That’s a huge responsibility – a responsibility I’m prepared to take on.

“I’m not there for the accolades or for the money or for my ego or any other reason.”

Hanson did not take any questions or speak to the media after her speech in London.

The gathering of conservatives in London was headlined by Reform UK’s Farage, whose party has surged to the top of the polls in the UK.

While Farage was not at Hanson’s speech, he did meet with Hanson on Saturday and called her “remarkable”.

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“She never goes away, she just keeps on going,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald, adding she was taking advantage of the Liberal Party’s struggles.

“She’s very clever on social media and she got it years ago, in a way that the Liberal Party of Australia didn’t. And I think that slow build has been really, really impressive.

“The Australian Liberal Party has just lost its way completely.”

However, Farage was less complimentary of her meeting with Robinson.

“It wouldn’t have been my choice,” Farage said.