One Nation leader to challenge racial discrimination law in High Court

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is heading to Australia’s highest court after her failure to squash multiple court rulings which found she racially vilified a Greens senator.

In 2024, Judge Angus Stewart found Senator Hanson breached the Racial Discrimination Act when she tweeted Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi in September 2022 that she should “piss off back to Pakistan”.

In July, Senator Hanson lost her Federal Court appeal against the decision.

On Saturday morning, Senator Hanson announced she would seek special leave to appeal to the High Court over section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.

“I’m taking this fight to the High Court for every Australian who feels they are being silenced and to keep their opinions to themselves,” Senator Hanson said.

“Too many Australians are afraid to speak honestly about immigration, race, religion, Indigenous policy and other important issues because they worry they will be called racist, dragged through a complaints process or taken to court.”

The legal challenge originated when Senator Hanson tweeted at Senator Faruqi following Queen Elizabeth’s death in 2022.

Senator Faruqi condemned the “racist empire” of the British monarchy following the announcement, sparking a response from Senator Hanson in which she expressed “appal and disgust”.

“When you immigrated to Australia you took every advantage of this country. You took citizenship, bought multiple homes, and a job in a parliament,” she said at the time.

“It’s clear you’re not happy, so pack your bags and piss off back to Pakistan.”

In her announcement on Saturday, Senator Hanson condemned the court rulings, claiming section 18C of the act, which makes it unlawful to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate someone for their race, colour or national or ethnic origin, was too wide reaching.

“That is not how a free country should work. Australians choose their government. The government should never get to choose what Australians are allowed to say.

“I don’t mince my words. I never have. People know exactly where I stand. But speaking plainly about political issues should not put you in court.

“I believe Australians should be able to disagree with each other. They should be able to argue. They should be able to say things other people don’t like. Freedom of speech means nothing if it only protects words everyone agrees with.”