A federal court has unanimously upheld the finding that Pauline Hanson engaged in racial discrimination against Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi over a 2022 tweet telling Faruqi to “pack your bags and piss off back to Pakistan”.
Appeal dismissed on all grounds
On Monday, justices Melissa Perry, Geoffrey Kennett, and Elizabeth Bennett dismissed Hanson’s appeal on all seven grounds, affirming the earlier decision by Justice Angus Stewart. Stewart had found Hanson’s tweet was “seriously offensive” and intimidating, breaching the Racial Discrimination Act.
Faruqi attended the judgment, while Hanson did not appear.
The tweet and its context
The case centered on an interaction after Queen Elizabeth II’s death. Faruqi tweeted: “Condolences to those who knew the Queen. I cannot mourn the leader of a racist empire built on stolen lives, land and wealth of colonised peoples. We are reminded of the urgency of Treaty with First Nations, justice & reparations for British colonies & becoming a republic.”
Hanson replied: “Your attitude appalls and disgusts me. When you immigrated to Australia you took every advantage of this country. You took citizenship, bought multiple homes, and a job in a parliament. It’s clear you’re not happy, so pack your bags and piss off back to Pakistan - PH.”
Ruling and implications
Stewart had described the comment as portraying Faruqi as a “second-class citizen” and a “racist trope”. He noted that Hanson’s tweet, given her profile, likely “empowered others” to make similar or worse comments.
Faruqi said the win was “for every single person out there who has been told to go back to where you came from” and that “hate speech is not free speech”. She added that the “seeds of One Nation’s racism” had grown because Labor and Liberal governments “have never stood up to it”.
Hanson posted on X that her legal team is reviewing the decision with a view to appealing to the High Court. Faruqi responded: “If she wants to be racist and defend herself for being a racist in the high court, then bring it on.”
Faruqi also said she would be seeking costs.
