Pauline Hanson slammed for 'dehumanising' attack on First Peoples

Dechlan Brennan
Dechlan Brennan Published September 14, 2026 at 1.00pm (AWST)

Far-right Senator Pauline Hanson has been condemned after making extraordinary and false statements describing Aboriginal ancestors as "the most primitive race on earth".

Senator Hanson made the comments on the relatively obscure Jamie J podcast last year, as reported by news.com.au, criticising the teaching of Indigenous history and culture in Australian schools.

"We're actually all leaning towards this Aboriginal, you know, teaching about Aboriginal culture and language for what?'' Senator Hanson said.

"And I'll say it on your program. What the hell have they done in this country for, you know, supposedly 60,000 years?"

The Queensland Senator, who has been under fire this week for comments against the Prime Minister's mother and Liberal MP Andrew Hastie's bravery, claimed Indigenous Australians had "achieved nothing".

"They never invented the wheel. There was nothing there. What are we actually holding up?" she said.

"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."

Senator Lidia Thorpe (Image: supplied)

In response, Senator Lidia Thorpe said most people knew what Senator Hanson claimed was "false".

"For thousands of generations, First Peoples have cared for this continent, developed sophisticated systems of lore, knowledge, agriculture, land management, science and art, and maintained rich living cultures that continue today," she said.

"First Peoples' ancient knowledge of this continent is something we want to share with everyone, to bring this country together. But Hanson is only interested in division."

Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, told reporters on Monday Senator Hanson's comments were "outrageous" and "completely racist".

"I absolutely condemn the comments that Senator Hanson has made in a podcast," she said. "We also know that Senator Hanson has form — in terms of speaking against minority groups, speaking against workers, speaking against parents who take their children to childcare, and speaking against people who are living, and people who are not living.

"She has no respect whatsoever. I certainly feel for First Nations people — in regards to the comments made by Senator Hanson. It's totally outrageous, completely racist, but also divides our country in a way that we do not want to see happen right here in Australia."

Senator Hanson has a long history of controversial comments about race, immigration and minority groups, including repeated criticism of multiculturalism and Islam and remarks targeting First Nations people.

In 2024, she was found guilty of breaching section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act over a social media post targeting Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi.

Senator Thorpe said the use of "dehumanising language" was consistent with rhetoric used to underpin "acts of massacre and genocide in this country".

"This is the same old project of denying First Peoples' history and sovereignty so that colonisation can be made to look justified," Senator Thorpe said.

"And we know that racism still causes real harm.

"First Nations children are contacting Kids Helpline about suicide and self-harm at higher rates than other children. 13YARN is receiving increasing numbers of calls related to racism.

"First Peoples die by suicide at around three times the rate of non-Indigenous people in this country. Before spreading these stereotypes, Hanson should consider the real harm she does to people."

Research shows 68 per cent of First Nations children have experienced hurtful or nasty treatment online, compared with a national average of 45 per cent.

A recent Senate inquiry into racism and hate towards First Peoples heard evidence that the failed Voice referendum marked a turning point in public expressions of racism, with Labor Senator Jana Stewart saying one in five submissions pointed to the 'No' campaign as "the moment racism against First Nations people became publicly acceptable".

Witnesses told the inquiry that openly racist behaviour had increased following the referendum, with views that had previously remained on the fringes becoming more normalised in public debate and online spaces.

There have also been several violent events towards First Peoples, including the attempted January 26 bombing in Boorloo, the attack on Camp Sovereignty in Naarm, and the alleged targeting of innocent Aboriginal children in Mildura.

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