Going Back In Time: Pauline Hanson Is On One Again (Naked City)

For the record, Australia’s population is heading towards 29 million, of whom around 32 per cent were born overseas. Whilst an English or part English heritage accounts for roughly a third of us, we have long since departed the colonial monoculture in favour of a modern multicultural society. Try telling that to Pauline Hanson and her One Nation followers, who long for a nostalgic return to the ethnic homogeneity of the 1930s under the White Australia policy.

The concept of a multi-ethnic, religiously diverse country sends them into apoplexy along with other hard held beliefs like climate change is nonsense. It’s exactly the same kind of appeal to ignorance and nationalistic fervour that Trump used to graft his way into the White House.

With large scale immigration, especially in the post WWII period, racial stereotyping and its accompanying prejudices became widespread. Many new arrivals in this country, of varying ethnicities, were often defined by bigoted and racist beliefs – popularised in the tabloid media, spruiked by right wing politicians and via ignorant community chatter.

Sometimes this stereotyping was downright xenophobic with immigrants perceived as a threat to our national identity, exactly the same kind of paranoia promoted by Hanson with her “Australia is being swamped by Asians” rants. On other occasions it was a lot less vicious, sometimes almost sociable and engaging – albeit rather stupid.

Many years ago, if you were buying a ticket at the lottery office, maybe your mum or an elderly gran would encourage you to rub against a “Chinaman” for good luck. It must have been tough if you were of Chinese heritage then, with every second person grazing your shoulder.

At the same time, many Chinese, along with other newcomers from Asia were branded with slurs, their cultures denigrated and even their cuisines shunned by Aussies raised on lamb chops and chiko rolls. Fortunately, there are now generations of Anglo Australians who have embraced Asian cooking, travelled throughout Asia and are well aware of the contribution that the many Asians who have migrated here make to this country.

In the post-WWII period, there was mass European immigration to Australia from countries such as Greece and Italy. Together with refugees from Central Europe many of these so called ‘New Australians’ were also accused of fostering mafioso-style gang and criminal activity. Some certainly did but it was always the Anglo ethnic Aussies who led the way when it came to murder, rape, extortion, robbery and assorted illegal mayhem.

Today the baton of blame has been passed on to the Middle Eastern community and indeed there are crime gangs and some rather nasty lawbreakers within. However, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2024-2025), the vast majority of prisoners in Australian prisons (approximately 83%) were born in Australia, of Anglo or Indigenous backgrounds. Maybe the Middle Eastern crims are much better evading the law, but ‘come on Aussie, come on’ – I’d like to think it’s our home-grown gangsters that are calling the shots and carrying on a tradition that harks right back to our convict heritage.

When it comes to racial stereotyping Pauline Hanson knows no peers. Her recent comments about Muslims, the two million worldwide and the one million plus living in Australia, were widely condemned. She made a point of declaring Lakemba an unwelcoming no-go zone, just as thousands of non Muslims flocked there to enjoy the cuisine of Ramadan nights. She was actually invited to attend by the local mayor Bilal El-Hayek, but no doubt was worried she might get a razor blade in her food.

I’ve long heard the rumour that Pauline threw out all her old Cat Stevens records once he converted to Islam and adopted the name Yusuf Islam. A shame if it’s true, because I can hear her now singing a rousing karaoke version of ‘Wild World’, with a sozzled Barnaby Joyce at a One Nation fundraiser.

The reality is that most racial stereotyping, even if it’s done in jest or with good intentions, can be a precursor to more damaging bigotry and prejudice. It seems fun and harmless at the time, and when light hearted always makes good fodder for comedians. Yet in the current political climate it’s probably best left alone, lest it becomes ammunition for those with an evil agenda.

As an interesting footnote there’s a rather humorous meme doing the rounds of Facebook showing Hanson pictured in Parliament, along with a packet of Arnott’s ‘Ginger Nut’ biscuits. She is demanding a name change with the words “Personally I find this brand name offensive”. Enough said!