Pauline Hanson, the leader of the One Nation party, has issued a forceful demand for significantly tighter immigration controls, arguing that Australia has made grave errors in its selection of migrants over the past three decades.
Call for a Royal Commission and Cultural Change
In a Monday interview with Sky News, Hanson endorsed businessman Stephen Lowy's push for a Royal Commission into Australia's immigration policy. She stated that urgent cultural change is necessary, directly linking her concerns to recent national events.
"It has to come down to the immigration, the people that we've brought into the country over the past especially three decades," Hanson asserted. "We're bringing in the wrong people. They don't want to assimilate, they have no time for Australia and hate our culture, our way of life, Western civilisation."
Targeting Extremism and Proposing Deportation
Hanson claimed that radical Islamic ideology has gained a foothold in the country, warning that hate speech legislation alone is insufficient to curb extremism. She proposed severe measures for those holding dual citizenship implicated in such activities.
"If they have dual citizenship, I'd strip them of their citizenship and deport them out of the country. I wouldn't have them here. We don't want this in the country," she declared. Her comments coincide with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recalling parliament to debate new laws aimed at banning extremist groups and criminalising the incitement of racial hatred.
Surveillance in Schools and a Decade-Long Path to Citizenship
The One Nation leader expressed specific anxiety about radicalisation occurring within Islamic schools and prayer rooms, calling for direct surveillance. "My concern is in Islamic schools," Hanson said. "Parents are assimilating, but their children are being radicalised in some of these schools or online."
She advocated for monitoring: "Unless we put the spotlight onto the Islamic schools, I'd have cameras or people there to watch what they're teaching. We can't allow this to be swept under the carpet."
Hanson also criticised Australia's immigration policies for accepting migrants from Muslim-majority nations that she claims refuse certain people themselves. She proposed a stringent, probationary model for new arrivals: "I'd allow citizenship for 10 years until you can get your citizenship. No one gets citizenship if you break the laws here or don't blend in."
Political Fallout and Rising Poll Numbers
Hanson argued that the recent Bondi massacre had been a wake-up call, causing Australians to lose faith in the major political parties on issues of security and immigration. "People are looking for leadership. People are really hurting in this country," she stated.
This sentiment appears to be reflected in recent polling. A new Demos AU poll released on Sunday shows One Nation's primary vote has risen to 23 per cent, drawing it level with the Coalition. The Labor Party's primary vote has slumped to 29 per cent.
Hanson declared the Liberal Party to be "in dire straits," accusing them of excessive moderation. "You can't define the difference between Labor and Liberal these days. People are looking for strong leadership and policies to get our country back on track," she concluded.
