Source : Perth Now news
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has branded Indigenous Australians “the most primitive race” in a freshly unearthed podcast interview from last year.
Appearing on a little-known podcast in September, Senator Hanson said teaching First Nations histories to children was a “complete waste of time”.
She said a Western Australian teacher had written to her claiming the state was “not teaching Australian history about civil rights” and that it was “actually all leaning towards … teaching about Aboriginal culture and language”.
“For what?” Senator Hanson asked.
“What the hell have they done in this country for … supposedly 60,000 years?
“They’d never invented the wheel. There was nothing here. What are we actually holding up? A few, you know, rock paintings.
“Sorry, they’re the most primitive race on Earth, and we’re supposed to be holding up and saying what they’ve achieved. They’ve achieved nothing.”
The interview, first reported by News24, was given to The JJ Podcast – an obscure podcast that often hosts conservative politicians, including former Liberal prime minister John Howard.
Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek said the comments proved “there’s no group in society Pauline Hanson isn’t prepared to kick down”.
“I think it’s only someone who doesn’t know anything about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture who could call it primitive,” she told News24.
Ms Plibersek said Senator Hanson most likely “hasn’t heard” of the Brewarrina Aboriginal Fish Traps, which are estimated to be more than 40,000 years old.
“We’re really lucky in this country to have 65,000 years of history and culture to learn from … If you don’t take the time to learn about a culture, you’ve got no right to call it primitive,” she said.
NewsWire has contacted One Nation for comment.
Senator Hanson’s comments surfaced amid backlash over other remarks she made about Anthony Albanese’s mother.
She is also under fire for branding Liberal frontbencher and special forces veteran Andrew Hastie a “traitor”.
More to come
