A judge has ruled that One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has breached racial discrimination laws in a tweet to fellow senator Mehreen Faruqi. She used a variation of a racist slogan, telling the deputy Greens leader to go back to Pakistan. Senator Faruqi says the case took a large personal toll but has delivered vindication.
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00:00It was a case with complex issues, but Marine Faruqi says the outcome sends a simple message.
00:08And it sends a strong message to racists that they will be held accountable.
00:14On the day of the Queen's death in 2022, Senator Faruqi said she couldn't mourn the leader
00:19of a racist empire. Senator Hanson's reply said, in part, it's clear you're not happy
00:26so pack your bags and piss off back to Pakistan.
00:29The One Nation leader argued that was exempt from racial discrimination law because it
00:34was a fair comment on a matter of public interest. The federal court disagreed.
00:39Her tweet was an angry personal attack on Senator Faruqi with no discernible content
00:45or comment about the issues raised by Senator Faruqi's tweet.
00:49The court found that while Muslims as a group may not be protected under the act, the senator's
00:54identity as a person of colour, an immigrant and a Muslim were inseparable.
00:59Today is a win of every single person who has been told to go back to where they came
01:06from. The expert evidence establishes that that
01:08is a racist trope with a long history. The judge has ordered Pauline Hanson to delete
01:14the tweet and pay Senator Faruqi's costs, which are likely to run into the hundreds
01:18of thousands. But as for an apology, Senator Faruqi says she's not expecting anything.
01:24She wasn't in court to hear the decision, but Senator Hanson was back on Twitter expressing
01:29deep disappointment. The outcome demonstrates the inappropriately
01:33broad application of Section 18C, particularly insofar as it impinges upon freedom of political
01:39expression. The One Nation leader has already flagged an appeal.