Pauline Hanson's 'good Muslims' comments do not breach Australian hate speech laws, police find

Pauline Hanson's controversial remarks about Muslim Australians have been deemed not to breach hate speech laws by the Australian federal police. The decision comes after the federal police received several complaints regarding comments the One Nation leader made on Sky News on February 16, 2026.

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I’ve got no time for radical Islam. Their religion concerns me because of what it says in the Qur’an. They hate Westerners. That’s what it’s all about.

Hanson's remarks were made in the context of discussing the return of Islamic State-linked Australian women and children from Syria. She stated, "I’ve got no time for radical Islam. Their religion concerns me because of what it says in the Qur’an. They hate Westerners. That’s what it’s all about." She further questioned, "You say, ‘Well, there’s good Muslims out there’ – how can you tell me there are good Muslims?"

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You say, ‘Well, there’s good Muslims out there’ – how can you tell me there are good Muslims?

The federal police spokesperson confirmed the finalization of the matter, stating the comments "do not meet the threshold for relevant offences, including within the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Act 2026." This legislation was passed in January following the Bondi terror attack. Despite the AFP's finding, Hanson had previously been censured in the Senate over the comments, a move she called a "stunt." She later offered a conditional apology, clarifying she did not believe there were no "good" Muslims and apologizing if she had "offended anyone out there that doesn’t believe in sharia law, or multiple marriages, or wants to bring ISIS brides in, or people from Gaza that believe in a caliphate."

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The AFP has determined the comments do not meet the threshold for relevant offences, including within the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Act 2026.