One Nation leader Pauline Hanson says she supports mass deportations from Australia and plans to mimic the hardline policies of hard-right UK counterparts.
Hanson is in Europe where she has been buffeted by both sides of the political spectrum after she was pictured holidaying at an up-market Italian hotel with mining magnate Gina Rinehart and taking in a Dolce & Gabbana fashion show.
She also appeared on a podcast with far-right figure Tommy Robinson and spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference in London, where she called for cuts to immigration and criticised trans rights.
On Sunday night she appeared on Seven’s Spotlight program where she was filmed meeting with Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe who has touted plans for “mass deportations” of foreign-born migrants.
Asked if she supported the policy and would like a similar scheme in Australia, she told Spotlight: “I love it.”
“That’s exactly what Britain wants to do here.”
Asked how she would implement such a program and the logistics of it, she said: “These are things that will be discussed with the relevant authorities to see the best way to go about it.
“I’m not gonna give you politics on the run here of how I’m going to deal with it.
“This will be discussed… as I do with everything in policy, I discuss it with the relevant people.”
She said she supported the deportation of “the ones that are here illegally in the country”.
Asked if she regretted saying in a Press Club speech that Australia should be a “monoculture”, she said “God, no.”
“I’m not out there dragging them to come to Australia,” Hanson told the program.
“They choose to come to Australia. Why do you think they chose to come to Australia? Because it’s the best country.”
During the program, she was filmed visiting parts of Britain with large migrant populations with Robinson.
“I hate seeing the burqa,” she told the program.
“These women covered up, I can’t stand it.”
Told by Robinson: “From this point, every shop, every business, every home, everything is Muslim.”
“No, I don’t want this happening in Australia,” Hanson replied.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has several criminal convictions, including for the common assault of an off-duty police officer.
Asked if it was appropriate for her to meet with Robinson given he was denied entry to Australia on character grounds, Hanson said: “I’m listening to his experiences here in Britain.
“What has happened to his country, the town that he actually grew up in.”
Pressed on whether she regretted her previous comments describing Islam as a “disease”, she said “no.”
“I do see it (Islam) as incompatible,” she said.
Asked if the million-plus Muslim who live in Australia might be offended by her remarks, she said: “Does anyone take consideration of how I might be offended by what’s happening to the Australian cultural way of life.”
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