Australia's politics have taken a contentious turn as Barnaby Joyce, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, voiced his support for mass deportations – albeit without using those exact words – amid controversy surrounding One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's recent comments and meetings abroad. In an interview on Channel Seven's Sunrise programme, Mr Joyce stated that those found not to be lawfully present in the country would be "put on a plane and sent back," following a process where individuals who "present themselves for medical issues or other things" are removed if they do not have the necessary documentation.
The latest furore stems from Hanson's trip, which included an interview with far-right convicted criminal Tommy Robinson and a meeting with Rupert Lowe, leader of the hard-right UK party Restore Britain. During her discussion with Mr Lowe, who presented her with a pamphlet titled "mass deportations," Hanson reportedly replied, "I love it." One Nation's official website outlines the party's desire to "deport 75,000 illegal migrants."
Hanson's comments on the Robinson podcast also sparked criticism, as she linked the changing face of Australia due to Islamic immigration to the end of the White Australia policy. When asked about this issue, Hanson claimed that "They opened up and got rid of the White Australian policy then they started bringing in the different migrants." Her daughter Lee, who works for One Nation Senator Sean Bell, has since defended her mother's statements, stating that she "does not support it and she does not want it back," acknowledging that she "may not be the most eloquent person in the world."
In contrast to these claims of context-taking, Mr Joyce offered a similar defence on Channel Seven's Sunrise programme, stating that One Nation "don't support the White Australia policy." However, he maintained that its abolition initiated a "chain of events" that led to undesirable outcomes, including a "section of people who didn't want to really assimilate with Australia, didn't work within the guardrails of Australia."
Australian Labor minister Tanya Plibersek has been vocal in her criticism of Hanson's behaviour, remarking that she "will say anything and then when it is challenged, she wants to stick her head in the sand and pretend she never said it." Ms Plibersek added that Hanson was "palling around with convicted criminals, trashing Australia overseas, then saying she’s all for White Australia and for mass deportations, and today apparently she's not." Despite these controversies, One Nation has reportedly seen an improvement in its polling figures, now drawing level with Labor in primary vote intentions according to the latest Newspoll.