Pauline Hanson calls for immigrants to 'speak English' and insists she’s 'still the same' politician

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has said 20 years in politics has made her more informed and wiser, but insists she’s “still the same” as she was.

“My policies haven’t changed over the years. Immigration, I’m still the same, cut back on it for our quality of life in Australia,” she told ABC’s Insiders this morning.

“I don’t forget what happened in the past… This time in parliament I’m treated with more respect.”

When asked whether the fact that almost half of Australians were born overseas meant the nation was a successful melting pot, Senator Hanson said that at the “bottom of it all… we must be Australian”.

She applauded former prime minister John Howard for cutting back immigration in the mid-1990s, when she was first in parliament.

“There are ghettoes in this country that don’t assimilate. We’ve got to make sure that people do assimilate, learn the language, speak English and respect our laws,” Senator Hanson said.

“Islam is purporting to be a religion, but I believe it is a political ideology trying to impose their thoughts, processes on the rest of our society… They want to change us. Do you want to change, would you be happy under Islam?”

Senator Hanson also told Insiders she supported the recent Sunday penalty rates cut administered by the Fair Work Commission.

READ MORE: Pauline Hanson supports Sunday penalty rate cut

In the wide-ranging interview, Senator Hanson also accused the government of acting as a “dictatorship” by withholding welfare payments from parents whose children aren’t immunised.

“That’s blackmail… don’t do that to people. That’s a dictatorship,” she said.

Labor’s health spokesman Catherine King hit back, slamming the senator’s “dangerous” comments.

“They aren't just wrong - they are dangerous. (Government) needs to condemn," Ms King tweeted.