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Pauline Hanson has told a political conference in London that Australia is following Britain down a path of cultural decline, blaming mass immigration, multiculturalism, Islam, net zero policies and “woke” ideology such as support for trans rights.
The One Nation leader has been in the UK to speak at the inaugural British spin-off from America’s influential Conservative Political Action Conference, alongside Nigel Farage and Liz Truss, the former British prime minister.
On Saturday she made a speech which was livestreamed on YouTube, telling the CPAC audience that while England is a beautiful country, London was not for her.
“I went to Tower Hamlets [a multicultural area in east London] just last week. Well, wasn’t that a rude awakening to me. I felt I was in another country. I didn’t believe this was England,” she said. She later added: “London? No, thank you. That’s my opinion … I see this happening too in some parts of Australia … I fear for England, I really do. You were the crystal ball for me to come over here and see what’s happened here. I believe we’re about five to ۱۰ years behind England.”
Towards the end of the speech, she told attendees: “Do not apologise for being white. I’m sick of hearing about white privilege. We are all human beings. We must learn from the mistakes of the past, but we don’t repeat that in reverse now, and I see that happening.”
Hanson also addressed a conference dinner on Friday (Saturday AEST) with media reportedly barred from attending. According to leaked audio of her speech reported by the Nine papers, she told attendees that “immigration is destroying our country as it has destroyed yours”.
Farage, the leader of Reform UK, in his address on Friday compared Hanson’s polling rise to Donald Trump’s victory in the US.
“This political revolution of course has happened in America,” Farage said. “It’s happening in Australia as we speak. Pauline: amazing. Amazing what you’ve done to get to the top of the opinion polls.”
Elsewhere, Hanson denied rumours of a rift with One Nation recruit Barnaby Joyce over her European tour and podcast with the far-right British activist Tommy Robinson.
The One Nation leader also denied billing taxpayers for any costs from her trip with Gina Rinehart to a Dolce & Gabbana fashion show in Sicily.
Hanson on Friday appeared in a one-hour podcast with Robinson, a convicted criminal whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, where she made a series of unsubstantiated claims about Muslim Australians.
After reports the podcast had worsened a growing rift with Joyce, Hanson denied fighting with “my mate Barnaby”, in a video filmed in London and shared to social media on Friday.
“We get on so well together and he’s having the time of his life,” Hanson said.
She said Joyce had called her earlier in the week and told her: “You are the best leader I have ever worked with in any political party.”
Joyce had also denied a rift on Friday, telling Channel Nine’s Today Show that people were “trying to divide us up”.
“Pauline and I are great mates,” Joyce said. “I find it a very easy, constructive relationship to be in as far as politics goes, to be quite frank.”
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Joyce on Saturday again split from his leader in comments to The Australian, saying he disagreed with Hanson’s claim that Islam is “based on terrorism”. Australia’s Islamophobia envoy said her language could have violent consequences.
The One Nation leader earlier in the week took a break from her UK trip to attend the Dolce & Gabbana event in Taormina, Sicily, with Rinehart, Australia’s richest person.
Norwegian football star Erling Haaland also attended, while Harper’s Bazaar reported actors Christian Bale and Jennifer Lopez were at the event.
In her video on Friday, Hanson said she had been invited to the Sicily show, after her attendance prompted criticism from major party politicians.
“It was an experience, it was fabulous, fantastic to see, but it’s not something I will ever go to again,” Hanson said.
“I just see a lot of jealousy out there. It’s no cost to the taxpayer.”
Hanson did not detail how the invitation or costs were covered in her video. She did not answer when asked by an ABC reporter, on Friday in London, if she had paid for her trip to Italy.
Joyce has said it was “a fair bet” Rinehart paid for Hanson’s visit. Rinehart’s company, Hancock Prospecting, referred questions to Hanson’s office when asked whether it facilitated Hanson’s invitation or covered her costs.
Hanson hit out at the Liberal leader, Angus Taylor, after he said she was “living it up” in Italy instead of addressing Malcolm Roberts, a One Nation senator, and his promotion of conspiracy theories.
“I can’t believe you, Angus,” she said.
“You actually have a go at me and say I should be back in Australia dealing with the cost of living. Well why don’t you talk to your own members of parliament like Bridget McKenzie, Matt Sullivan and Colin Boyce, all here visiting Italy?”
