Jacqui Lambie has warned Australians not to support a “dangerous” and “delusional” Pauline Hanson, drawing comparisons between the One Nation leader and controversial international leaders.
In a speech during adjournment last night in the Senate, the Tasmanian senator said she had received a stream of abuse after her impassioned defence of Andrew Hastie after he was repeatedly labelled a “traitor” in One Nation’s cartoon series.
double quotation markOne 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.
The outspoken senator criticised Donald Trump’s potential forever war with Iran while singling out Hanson’s support of his actions.
double quotation markYou’d put [Australian soldiers] back in another American forever war? [Hanson] is not only dangerous, she’s delusional!
Lambie said figures such as Trump and Nigel Farage were great at telling people they would fight for them while doing the opposite.
double quotation markSenator Hanson will be fine in her retirement, as will Nigel and Donald in theirs, because once again they are feathering their own nests ... 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.
