“Was I right?": Pauline Hanson repeats her call for halt on immigration
Pauline Hanson, the controversial leader of One Nation, has once again thrust immigration into the spotlight with her renewed calls to halt migration to Australia.
Hanson, known for her divisive rhetoric, has resurrected her infamous claims from nearly three decades ago, asserting that Australia is being "swamped" by Asian immigrants.
Hanson's resurgence on this issue coincides with the release of new figures revealing that Australia's migration intake has surged to a record high of 548,800 arrivals in the year leading up to September. These numbers pose a challenge to the government's efforts to manage immigration levels, prompting Hanson to call for a plebiscite to gauge public opinion on the matter.
In her address to the Senate, Hanson harked back to her inaugural speech as the Oxley MP in 1996, where she first warned of being "swamped by Asians".
“I was called a racist, of course, by the major parties and big media who are in lockstep of a big Australia,” Hanson said on Thursday morning. “But today, seven out of the top 10 source countries for immigration to Australia are in Asia - including four out of the top five - and the numbers are out of control.
“Was I right? You’d never admit it. But yes, I am.”
However, Hanson's push to curtail immigration was ultimately defeated, with opposition from other senators and parties. Nevertheless, the debate rages on, fuelled by concerns over housing shortages, strained infrastructure and environmental pressures.
Opposition figures, including immigration spokesman Dan Tehan, criticise the government's handling of immigration, arguing that Labor's vision of a "Big Australia" is exacerbating existing challenges. They call for urgent action to address the housing crisis and alleviate the strain on public services.
In response, the government has outlined plans to crack down on fraudulent visa applications and tighten regulations on higher education providers. Additionally, measures are being implemented to address loopholes in the visa system, such as the phenomenon of "ghost colleges".
The government's migration strategy, unveiled in December, aims to achieve a significant reduction in net overseas migration by 2025. If successful, this would mark the largest decline in migration outside of extraordinary circumstances in Australia's history.
As the debate unfolds, the nation grapples with fundamental questions about identity, diversity and sustainability. While politicians spar over policy solutions, the Australian public remains divided on the issue, reflecting broader societal tensions and anxieties about the future.
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