Thorpe, Government connected to Far-Right Nazis. Hanson hits back lies of reality by extremists from the Left

Senator Hanson and Thorpe

The Greens Senator Lidia THORPE: MATTERS OF URGENCY - National Security: I rise to speak on this motion, and I thank Senator Lines for putting it before this chamber. It's very disturbing to hear the comments that people are making in this chamber. This is absolutely critical right now in this country because it is getting worse, and there is deep division in this country where we are meant to be uniting—as people who represent our constituents and the people of Australia. It's deeply saddening that we have a government who is so connected to the far-Right, to the fascists, to the Nazis. It's deeply disturbing.

I have been on the receiving end of these racists, these violent perpetrators that don't like anybody else but themselves and the whiteness that they bring. When I was 14 and I started my first job, I rocked up to work one day and there was 'coon' written across the window, in Gertrude Street, Fitzroy. When I had my first child, in Lakes Entrance, the skate park had a sign with graffiti across it saying 'all coons must die'. We had the KKK in Paynesville, in Victoria. The far Right are a threat to everybody in this country. They represent hate, they represent violence and they don't want to unite this country. They're not part of this country's identity, nor should they be. I'm just so surprised that so many people on the other side—and we're going to have the other senator come up after me and blurt out the racist rhetoric that they always do, but it's got to stop. We have children watching. Our children have to be safe. There are children being beaten up in the schoolyards because of racism. Children are not born racist; they learn it. They're learning it in their homes and they're learning it from their government. When are we going to truly mature as a nation? When? Stop racism because racism kills people in this country.

Senator Pauline Hanson (Queensland—Leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation): This is an urgency motion by Senator Lines. I'm proud to be speaking for the overwhelming majority of Australians who know that being an Australian means being part of probably the greatest democracy of the world. But one of the ugliest challenges that's raised its head in recent years is the hypocrisy, lies and rewriting of reality by extremists from the Left—extremists who seek to rewrite our history, lie about our present, deceive our youth and go to any length, it seems, to shame our great democracy.

I've said many times in this place that I am against all extremism. I oppose right-wing extremists and I oppose left-wing extremists. This motion before us reflects some of the worst thinking of left-wing extremism. Senator Lines ignores 200 years of nation building and ignores the spirit that bonds us and instead recreates reality to drive a stake of division into the heart of our nation and our people by preaching white privilege. Like so many left-wing extremists, she denies truth for political gain and notoriety.

There can be a few more stunning examples of hypocrisy than the bitter, vitriolic attack by the senator against Australia Day in an ad she paid for on social media recently. Senator Lines calls for Australia Day to be a day of mourning. She could not possibly be more out of step with the overwhelming majority of Australians. If Senator Lines really believes in white privilege, she'll obviously be happy to immediately hand over her position as Deputy President to Senator Dodson or Senator McCarthy. Senator Lines's vitriol does Indigenous Australians no service at all. She hides behind a shameful cloak of shallowness, hypocrisy and lies that typifies the worst elements of extremism on both sides. It ignores any truth, tolerates no discussion or debate, is dismissive of reason and deserves the widest condemnation from all sides. I will not be supporting this motion.

Read the full Debate On the Parliament of Australia Website (National Security)

Source: Parliament of Australia