Labor blames Pauline Hanson’s ‘own behaviour’ for escalating threats. By Rosie Lewis and Sarah Ison in The Australian.
An intense battle between the Albanese government and Pauline Hanson over what’s causing politically motivated threats against One Nation has erupted, with the minor party leader accusing Attorney-General Michelle Rowland of slandering her supporters and excusing violent threats. …
Ms Rowland on Tuesday defended the Prime Minister and said it was Senator Hanson’s behaviour and some people in One Nation who were to blame.
Ms Rowland’s intervention was swiftly rebuked by Senator Hanson, who demanded an apology and said the Attorney-General had been victim-blaming.
“Attorney-General Michelle Rowland must retract her comments and apologise for slandering One Nation and its supporters while appearing to excuse the violent threats directed against them,” Senator Hanson posted on X.
“Millions of Australians support One Nation. They are not extremists. They are not dangerous. And ministers should not use language that encourages others to treat them as if they are. No minister, especially the Attorney-General and first law officer of the country, should suggest there is any justification for threats against Australians because of the political party they support.
Pauline Hanson quotes Michelle Rowland:
When I raised the threats now requiring federal police protection, Ms Rowland responded: “I would suggest that Senator Hanson should examine what her party and what her ideology and her behaviour is doing and whether or not that is encouraging that.”
She added: “I think sometimes when comments like this are made, one needs to look at oneself and one’s behaviour and the kinds of standards that they accept into their own party and their own ideology.”
One Nation posted a recent threat:
This should be immediately investigated by the AFP.
Nothing happened when school children threatened to harm the One Nation Leader.
No statements. No condemnation. No school follow up. No arrests. Not even a Prime Minister press conference.
Is Albanese going to make a statement about this?
And:
Both Facebook AND Australia’s eSafety Commissioner need to urgently explain why threats of violence and murder against One Nation and conservatives are not being removed or treated as serious.
There is a two-tier approach to digital safety.
Either we ditch the whole safety censorship system and leave it as a free for all — or the eSafety Commissioner takes some bloody responsibility and steps up to protect conservatives — even if it means upsetting diverse or religious groups who vote for Labor and the Greens.
Attorney General Michelle Rowland was asked if One Nation is dangerous.
She said “One Nation does not represent mainstream Australia.”
Then she tied the party to “extremist views including neo Nazi views” and called that “dangerous.”
[Rowland] is intentionally marking Pauline Hanson, One Nation, and their voters. Labor is at war with the nation.
“They don’t kill you because you’re a fascist, they call you a fascist so they can kill you”
Copying US politics, with Hanson in the Trump role. Hope it doesn’t get as far as bullets flying.
UPDATE on the Nazi smears (by Will Seitam in The Australian):
WA One Nation leader Rod Caddies has called out hypocritical “dirty tactics” saying Labor “fascists” had tried to brand his image with Australia’s outlawed neo-Nazi movement. …
“When you look at the Labor campaign they were trying to attach me to neo-Nazis and they tried to muddy the waters.”
Pressed on whether he held any concern over the possibility that extremists may have infiltrated One Nation, Mr Caddies replied: “Not at all.
“We had 25,000 people turn up to a March for Australia rally and we had Labor trying to run a smear campaign saying I’m attached to neo-Nazis because I spoke at the rally. Twelves people in black clothes turned up. I told them to go away on the stage. So this is (Labor’s) dirty tactics.
“Democracy is a contest of ideas. (Labor) start calling you fascists and making claims that aren’t true. It’s them that are the fascists. This idea that we are mixing with some extremist part of the community is just not true.”