Pauline Hanson's 'No Good Muslims' Comments Ruled Not Hate Speech by Police

Australian police will not pursue One Nation leader Pauline Hanson under hate speech laws following an investigation into offensive comments she made about Muslims in February. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed that the remarks did not meet the threshold required to be pursued as a crime under the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Act.

Senator Hanson made the comments during a Sky News interview, where she stated there were no "good" Muslims. She also claimed, without providing evidence, that certain Australian suburbs were unsafe for people to enter. She specifically singled out a Sydney suburb known for its large Muslim population. These statements drew widespread condemnation from politicians across the political spectrum, who labeled them as divisive and inflammatory. Islamic leaders also denounced the comments as hateful, with Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor Bilal El-Hayek calling for Hanson to be charged.

The AFP had received reports of a crime related to the comments shortly after the interview. Senator Hanson had previously accused the government of attempting to imprison her again. However, an AFP spokesperson stated on Friday that the investigation had been finalized, concluding that the comments did not meet the threshold for relevant offenses.

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The AFP has finalised this matter.

Following the initial controversy, Senator Hanson issued a partial apology, suggesting she did believe in some "good" Muslims and referencing a non-practising Muslim woman who had run for One Nation. She apologized if she had offended anyone who did not believe in Sharia law, multiple marriages, or who wanted to bring in ISIS brides or people from Gaza who believed in a caliphate. However, she maintained her general stance, stating, "In general, that is what they want, a world caliphate. And I am not going to apologise… I will have my say now before it's too late."

This is not the first time Senator Hanson has faced scrutiny for anti-Muslim remarks. In 2024, the Federal Court found she had a tendency to make such comments and breached the Racial Discrimination Act over a social media post directed at Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi. Hanson lost her appeal against that ruling on Monday but has indicated a potential High Court appeal. She previously served a brief prison sentence in 2003 for election fraud, though the conviction was later quashed.

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In general, that is what they want, a world caliphate. And I am not going to apologise … I will have my say now before it's too late.