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‘Most primitive’: Hanson blasted for indigenous slur

Lidia Thorpe has slammed Pauline Hanson’s comment regarding Indigenous culture. Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS

By Noah Secomb and Tess Ikonomou in Canberra

Pauline Hanson has been slammed as “completely racist” after she labelled Indigenous Australians “the most primitive race on earth”.

The One Nation leader made the comments during an interview with the Jamie J podcast a year ago, where she criticised the study of Indigenous history in schools.

“Teaching about Aboriginal cultural language. For what? What? What the hell have they done in this country?,” she told the podcast.

“What are we actually holding up? A few, you know, paintings.

“Sorry, the most primitive race on earth, and we’re supposed to be holding up and saying what they’ve achieved. They’ve achieved nothing.”

Senator Hanson had “no respect whatsoever”, Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy said.

“It’s totally outrageous, completely racist, but it also divides our country in a way that we do not want to see happen right here in Australia,” she told reporters at Parliament House on Monday.

“I do believe that, as all Australians, we have to stand up and stand out against such divisive commentary … that is not the Australia I know.

“It is not the Australia I want to see and I call on all Australians to condemn such commentary.”

Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe urged Senator Hanson to consider the “real harm” her commentary could cause.

“We know she won’t change. She will continue to spread nasty, poorly informed and harmful ideas to rally her base and divide this country,” she told AAP.

Senator Thorpe called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to “step up” and tackle racism.

“Pauline Hanson is running circles around them (Labor) spreading damaging and divisive ideas while this government sits on its hands,” she said.

Senator Hanson had already come under fire in the past week after a video she posted labelled Liberal MP and former special forces soldier Andrew Hastie a “traitor” and criticised Mr Albanese’s mother for living in public housing for several decades.

Labor cabinet minister Tanya Plibersek said there seemed to be no limit to who Senator Hanson was willing to “kick down”, questioning the basis of her comments on Indigenous culture.

“If you don’t take the time to learn about a culture, you’ve got no right to to call it primitive,” Ms Plibersek told News24.

News all day, every day at CityNewsQBN.com.au.

Australian Associated Press

Australian Associated Press

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