Senator Jacqui Lambie has issued a stark warning to Australians, urging them not to support Pauline Hanson, whom she described as “dangerous” and “delusional.” In a Senate adjournment speech delivered last night, the Tasmanian senator drew parallels between the One Nation leader and controversial international figures, cautioning that populist politics would worsen the lives of working people.
Lambie's Senate Warning on Populism
Lambie revealed she had received a stream of abuse following her impassioned defence of Andrew Hastie, who was repeatedly labelled a “traitor” in One Nation’s cartoon series. She used the platform to criticise the tactics of populist leaders, stating, “One Nation whips up the anger and they tell people who to blame. That’s the populist trick ... It’s a trick Australia, and we’ve got to wake up to it. Because every time a populist leader, like Trump or Farage, get any power, the lives of working people don’t get better. They get worse.”
Criticism of Trump and Hanson
The outspoken senator specifically targeted Donald Trump’s potential “forever war” with Iran and singled out Hanson’s support for his actions. Lambie questioned, “You’d put [Australian soldiers] back in another American forever war? This woman [Hanson] is not only dangerous, she’s delusional!” She argued that figures such as Trump and Nigel Farage excelled at promising to fight for ordinary people while doing the opposite, adding, “Senator Hanson will be fine in her retirement, as will Nigel and Donald in theirs, because once again they are feathering their own nests.”
Call for a Better Path
Lambie concluded by urging Australians to reject the politics of fear and division. She stated, “Australia can choose not to follow the ugly politics of populism, we can do better because we bloody are better! And it’s not about right or left, it’s about respect and finding solutions, and not operating from a place of fear – whatever side you’re on.” Her remarks highlight a growing concern among some politicians about the influence of populist rhetoric in Australian politics.
