Pauline Hanson has claimed convicts are part of the Stolen Generation while opposing the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
The One Nation leader made her case against The Voice ahead of the referendum vote bill, claiming it’s ‘divisive’ and would not help the Indigenous community.
Even more bizarrely, the politician spoke about the arrival of convicts following the First Fleet, in which she claimed they were part of the Stolen Generation as well.
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Just look at a book, ma’am.
“This nation was founded on the Westminster of government after it was settled by the English,” she said before parliament.
“Yes, we all acknowledge there were other people [here] at the time in this nation, but it has been on the backbone of, as people say, the colonists, the convicts, the people who came here.
“Many [were] dragged here from England, and other places, against their will. They were the stolen generation as well.”
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The Senator said that despite the 'many atrocities that have happened’, the government has acknowledged the struggles of Indigenous people.
“Our country has grown with parliamentary system that was started, the same system in England, with the parliament, with people elected based on their dedication, passion, those people wanting to make changes for the better of this country,” she said.
“Those opportunities have been forward to anyone, whether it be people born here, migrants, refugees, and even the indigenous Australian.”
She continued: “To say that they've never had a voice is, is truly untrue. It's not the truth.”
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The Senate proceeded to pass the legislation to hold a referendum later this year with 52 votes in support and 19 against.
Her comments haven't gone down well with many.
One person wrote on Twitter: "WTF? Pauline Hanson just claimed that English convicts brought to Australia were a 'stolen generation'. Could her arguments against the Voice get any sillier?!"
Another added: "Deluded Pauline Hanson dribbles 'convict stolen generations rot' in order to justify the 234 yr colonial criminal white supremacy genocidal legacy she benefits by, on stolen Aboriginal land."
After Hanson made her speech, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called for a ‘respectful debate’ over the Voice to Parliament and claimed the Senator's comments were 'unworthy’ of a prime ministerial response.
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“I didn't see what Senator Hanson said, but I'm sure it's consistent with things that she said in the past," Mr Albanese said in a press conference, as per Sky News.
"I don't intend to respond to them, because I don't think that they are worthy of a prime ministerial response.
“I will say this, I will call for a respectful debate across the board, no matter what way people are voting, to try to, for the advocates, to do their best to stick to the facts, to not say things that they know are not true.”
Charisa Bossinakis