Pauline Hanson has issued a qualified apology after describing Indigenous Australians as the "most primitive race on Earth," saying she did not intend to upset people and was sorry "if I offended people." The One Nation leader has faced condemnation from across the political spectrum after comments from a September 2025 podcast resurfaced.
Backlash over resurfaced podcast comments
In the podcast, first reported by News24 on Monday, Hanson complained about children learning about Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and referred to First Nations people as the "most primitive race on Earth." The remarks drew immediate criticism from political figures, including Indigenous affairs minister Malarndirri McCarthy and Liberal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price.
Hanson told News24 on Tuesday she regretted using the term if it upset people, only hours after refusing to deliver an apology over the remarks. "That's not my intentions," she said. "That wasn't my intentions, to hurt people."
The Queensland senator also acknowledged her communication style, saying "I'm not the most eloquent speaker in how I deliver something, what I say." She added that she had "always put my foot in my mouth" when asked about her previous support for Nampijinpa Price.
Senator Price and Minister McCarthy respond
Following the interview with News24, Hanson briefly took questions from journalists in the corridors of Parliament House, where she again offered a qualified apology: "If I offended people by using that [term, 'primitive'], yes, I will apologise for that."
Hours earlier, Nampijinpa Price rebuked Hanson, saying making Australia better was about working together rather than tearing people down on the basis of race. "She did absolutely demonstrate wilful ignorance because there's a hell of a lot more to Australia's first people than simply what her remarks suggest," Price said. "I don't care what excuses are being made. It was her tone and inflection throughout those remarks."
Malarndirri McCarthy also condemned Hanson's comments on Tuesday morning, calling them "deeply hurtful" and "completely wrong." She said the rare moment of unity across party lines against Hanson "speaks volumes" as to why she should apologise. "Those comments were completely baseless. They harm. They dehumanise First Nations people in Australia," McCarthy told ABC.
Censure motion discussions and other controversies
Crossbench senators said on Tuesday there were discussions about moving a censure motion against Hanson over the comments, but some questioned what it would achieve. The One Nation leader was censured earlier this year after "inflammatory and divisive" comments about Australian Muslims and again in late 2025 for her burqa stunt.
During the brief press conference at Parliament House, Hanson also appeared to walk back her comments about the prime minister's mother. "I don't think my comments were derogatory towards his mother at all. I was referring to housing commission at that time. So if he's taken offence to it, well, I'm sorry for that," she said.
The apology comes after widespread condemnation of Hanson over a string of other remarks in the past week, including her criticism of Anthony Albanese's mother for living in public housing for decades and a One Nation cartoon that repeatedly referred to Liberal SAS veteran Andrew Hastie as a 'traitor'. The controversy highlights ongoing tensions over race relations and political discourse in Australia.
