Pauline Hanson blames end of White Australia policy for migration issues

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has voiced criticism of Australia's migration policies, attributing current societal issues to the dismantling of the White Australia policy in the 1970s. Speaking on a podcast hosted by British activist Tommy Robinson, Hanson reiterated claims about the spread of sharia law and alleged that Muslim communities are exploiting the national disability insurance scheme (NDIS).

"A lot of them are ripping the system off who are a lot from the Muslim areas and they’re getting on the scheme," Hanson stated, though she also acknowledged that "a lot of Aussies too" are involved. Australia's Health Minister, Mark Butler, dismissed Hanson's claims, stating he had not seen any evidence to support them. Butler also criticized Robinson, describing him as a "convicted criminal" disowned by mainstream figures.

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A lot of them are ripping the system off who are a lot from the Muslim areas and they’re getting on the scheme. But there’s a lot of Aussies too, other Aussies, so I’m not just going to pick them out, but it is quite known that in the Muslim streets you’ve got a quite a lot in that street who are on the NDIS scheme.

Hanson's remarks on the podcast, hosted by Robinson (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon), focused on what she described as the "changing face of Australia due to Islamic immigration." She contrasted current migrants from Pakistan, Somalia, and African nations with post-World War II European migrants like Italians, Germans, and Poles, whom she believes integrated more successfully into Australian society.

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I’m not sure where Ms Hanson is getting her figures from but they’ve never been provided to me as the minister for disability and the minister for the NDIS. I’m loath to respond to a podcast between Ms Hanson and this convicted criminal, who frankly has been disowned by so many leading figures on the right.

"We had a lot of people come out after the second world war. Italians, Germans, Polish, and these people, but they integrated into the system," Hanson said. "A lot of them couldn’t speak English but they learned to speak English. They had to work. These people who came in and really assimilated."

During the interview, Hanson also expressed confidence in her daughter, Lee Hanson, positioning her as the future leader of the One Nation party. Lee Hanson reportedly works as a senior advisor to a New South Wales senator in a taxpayer-funded role.

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They opened up and got rid of the White Australian policy then they started bringing in the different migrants. We had a lot of people come out after the second world war. Italians, Germans, Polish, and these people, but they integrated into the system. A lot of them couldn’t speak English but they learned to speak English. They had to work. These people who came in and really assimilated.