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One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has slammed Minister Ken Wyatt’s suggested formation of a new body to manage services for Aboriginals, fearing a repeat of the inefficiency and corruption that plagued the now-defunct ATSIC.

Senator Hanson said the new body, proposed by the Minister for Indigenous Australians, would not help Aboriginals, would feed racism in Australia by encouraging favouritism of Aboriginals, and would probably degenerate into a “jobs for the boys” setup.

“Haven’t we learned anything from the past? We have too many organisations and Government-funded bodies that are supposed to be devoted to Aboriginal issues – they cost millions of dollars, they underperform, and any new similar body will fall into the same category as ATSIC,” Senator Hanson said.

“These organisations often amount to ‘jobs for the boys’, where they hire friends and relatives, they all get paid well, they have a great time courtesy of the taxpayer, and meantime the people don’t see any benefits.

“This idea of unbalanced and favoured treatment of one group over another group is rubbish; it’s actually encouraging racism in Australia, and it doesn’t help Aboriginals.

“All races in Australia should be treated equally; Government assistance should be allocated according to individual need, not skin colour or racial heritage – anyone who agrees with that logic is the racist one, not me.”

Figures show government spending on Aboriginals is, on average, more than double that spent on non-Aboriginal Australians.

The latest 2015-16 figures from the Productivity Commission show total direct Government spending on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders was estimated to be $33.4 billion – it amounts to $44,886 for each Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian, compared to $22,356 each for non-Indigenous Australians.

Senator Hanson continues to raise concerns about Government support of Aboriginals, ever since highlighting the inequality from when first elected to the Australia Parliament.

“I spoke in my maiden speech about the reverse racism that is promoted and favoured by those who benefit from ‘industries’ that revolve around servicing Aboriginals and other minority groups, and that unfairness still exists today, 24 years later,” Senator Hanson  said.

“I called for equality back then and was criticised – mostly from bureaucrats and do-gooders who had most to lose from a fairer system – and it’s the same now, with an extra smattering of rabid lefties who also never miss an opportunity to jump in and feed off the issues that impact those most in need.

“Governments encourage inequality by continuing to shovel handout after handout to Aboriginals, along with land and housing, community infrastructure, which all has proved to be no help at all to get these people up on their own two feet.

“We can’t create another body that will sit at arm’s length from Government, that will struggle to make any positive difference, but burning up mountains of money along the way.

“ATSIC was a complete failure, it cost billions of dollars, including $1.3-billion in its final year, and did very little to improve the lives of Aboriginal people; we can’t have a repeat of that past failure.”

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One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has condemned talk of changing Australia Day, arguing that any changes would never appease those with a “chip on their shoulders” who want to “get rid of” the commemoration.

The Senator’s comments were made to viewers around Australia during her second live national broadcast, streamed on her Facebook page, “Pauline Hanson’s Please Explain”.

A caller named Scott, who’ll have a few “quiet ones” and a barbecue with friends and family on Australia Day, said the use of the term Invasion Day “gets on my nerve”.

Senator Hanson replied: “It gets up my nose too, don’t worry about that, and I think a lot of Aussies.”

“I’ve got no intentions, if I’ve got anything to do with it, of changing the day to another day because they feel offended. Well, I’m sorry, get over it, move on.

“And it doesn’t matter if you moved it from the 26th, if you move it to another day, the chip on the shoulders is still there, you’ve still got the attitude, and it won’t be any different, whatever day you pick, until they get rid of it altogether.”

Another caller, Sayed, agreed that Australia Day should say where it is.

“I’m voicing what a lot of Australians think about it,” Senator Hanson said.

“You can change the date, it’s not going to change history… It wasn’t invaded; I’m sorry, the country was settled.

“My attitude is, and I’ve said it before, get rid of the chip off your shoulder, we’re all Australians together, and I won’t be told that this is not my country. It is.

“The same as any migrant that’s come here, they’ve taken up citizenship, they love this country as much as anyone who’s born here, and let’s unite as one Australia.”

Senator Hanson will spend Australia Day at Yeppoon in central Queensland, where she will conduct a citizenship ceremony.

She noted that, as the member for Oxley in the late 1990s, she spoke her mind on the issue to new citizens at an Ipswich Council Australia Day ceremony.

“And at the very end I said to them, ‘Well, unless you give this country your undivided loyalty, I’ll be the first one to take you to the airport, put you on a plane, and wave you hooray’,” she recounted.

“Well, they all used to burst out laughing, well the officials and the Council were all absolutely shocked and, guess what, well they withdrew my invitation to go to these citizenship ceremonies.

“But the whole fact was, guess who was still standing there, as the last person, getting photos with all these new citizens? …I was there, the last one, to welcome all these new Australians, and they understood what I meant and they had a laugh about it.

“But anyway, there’s some precious people out there.”

The live Facebook show featured Senator Hanson and her chief-of-staff James Ashby discussing a range of issues, from her recent trip to remote western Queensland, flood recovery in northern Queensland, Maleny Dairies losing out to overseas milk providers, Family Law and Child Support, the Queensland 2032 Olympics bid, climate change, the loss of manufacturing in Australia, the need for phone towers in rural areas, and upcoming legislation such as the $10,000 cash ban bill.

The hosts also chatted to a number of callers from around Australia who were able to chat directly about their issues to Senator Hanson.

The two-hour Facebook broadcast attracted 162,000 viewers.

Note: Senator Hanson’s conversation with Scott is available at https://www.facebook.com/PaulineHansonAu/videos/472416150378562/?epa=SEARCH_BOX at time code: 1hour 54 minutes and with Sayed at 1.59. Her recounting of her Oxley citizens ceremony is at 1.51.

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One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is demanding Queensland’s Labor Government overturn its decision to grant a major hospital milk contract to two questionable overseas suppliers while ignoring award-winning local firm Maleny Dairies.

Senator Hanson is ropeable that such a major contract has gone overseas, despite the Queensland Government spruiking a “buy locally” initiative for much of 2019.

“This is absolute hypocrisy from Premier Palaszczuk, who will happily send taxpayer funds to multinationals Lactalis and Lions, who pay negligible tax in Australia, when we have one of the best milk providers in the nation right here in south east Queensland,” Senator Hanson said.

“Queensland Labor’s decision is bordering on treasonous. It’s beyond belief. Labor is behaving like a government that doesn’t care about Queensland or have the best interests of Queenslanders at heart. Labor would rather fund jobs in France and China.

“Maleny Dairies is ready and able to fulfil the contract of up to 15,000 litres for local hospitals; it is a solid award-winning Queensland company that has created jobs and supports locals by buying directly from farmers around the state’s south east.

“Bizarrely, Queensland Health asked Maleny Dairies to make sure they lodged a tender, even though they made it clear they couldn’t compete on price, and here they are losing out to the overseas companies.

“I’m calling on the Labor Government to do the right thing, overturn the hospital milk contract and give it instead to a local provider; come on Premier, follow your own promotions, support local jobs, and put Queensland businesses first.”

The milk contract involved providing between 11,000 and 15,000 litres of milk products each week to Prince Charles Hospital, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Gympie Hospital, and a number of smaller hospitals.

Lions was recently purchased by Chinese company Mengniu Dairy, which is part-owned by the Chinese Government. From 2013 to 2017, Lions earned $12.5billion in Australia and paid just $186m in tax, equal to a tax rate of 1.48%. Meantime, French company Lactalis (formerly Parmalat), earned $6.4billion in Australia from 2013-2017, and paid just $43million in tax, or 0.67% tax.

Mengniu was also involved in the melamine scandal in 2008, in which melamine was added to baby formula in China to falsely increase the protein content of the product. Six babies died as a result and more than 50,000 babies were hospitalised.

Lactalis was accused last year of trying to hurry Australian farmers to sign milk supply contracts that payed them less than the cost of production, in the hope of circumventing the new Mandatory Dairy Code of Conduct that came into force on January 1.

“Lactalis is not a reputable company in my view, which is further reason to reverse this decision and look for a local company,” Senator Hanson said.

“Perhaps Maleny Dairies missed out because it’s located in blue ribbon territory and not in a Labor-held seat. If the company was located in Inala, I suspect the outcome might have been different.

“Queensland’s dairy industry continues to struggle – we have one farmer leaving the industry each week – and decisions like this milk contract suggests Labor is happy to let that happen.

“This whole thing has the stench of political manoeuvring, they aren’t making decisions in the best interests of Queensland.

“Labor is just as bad as the Liberals and their pork barrelling of sports funds prior to the federal election.

“I’d like to know what are the benefits for Queensland by giving this milk contract to overseas companies.

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One Nation leader Pauline Hanson supports a thorough investigation into the catastrophic bushfires, but she said it must also hear evidence from both sides of the climate change debate, and honestly consider the impact of environment and climate change policies.

Senator Hanson added that the extent of the fires had solidified One Nation’s policy to overturn Queensland’s Vegetation Management laws that hinder the agriculture sector, and threaten lives and property.

“There’s lots of varying opinions about these fires, lots of theories, misinformation and emotions, so the honest truth needs to be determined, people have the right to know full and complete information so let’s have a royal commission,” Senator Hanson said.

“Is it so-called man-made climate change that caused this series of disasters, or is it mismanagement of the land due to environment and climate change policies? Let’s investigate and prove what it is. I’ve got my beliefs but I’d like to know for sure, and I think plenty of other Australians would like to know too.

“Our country is in a disgraceful mess, I travel around a lot and I can see it’s tired, it’s been ill-managed, and something needs to be done.

“There’s been lots of scaremongering on this issue, and Prime Minister Morrison seems to be rattled and is making his decisions based on that scaremongering. I want leadership based on facts.

“He’s on the world stage now and he doesn’t want to feel out of step so he’s being led by the UN and Paris Agreement.

“This is no time for political manoeuvring; it’s a time to find the truth and take decisive action, as this is about the future of our country.

“The royal commission should also look at former politicians and bureaucrats and the wealth they’ve accumulated from policy decisions on climate change.”

Senator Hanson noted that the bushfires have divided Australia, with some adamant it has been caused by man-made climate change, while others blame a combination of drought, poor land management, banning of livestock grazing in national parks, and resulting fuel build-up.

“People can no longer graze their cattle in national parks, the Government is not allowing fallen trees on private property to be raked, residents can’t even collect a little firewood for their stoves and heaters like they used to, so the fuel has been allowed to build up over many many years,” Senator Hanson said.

“And then we have these arsonists who have lit most of the recent fires, why are they doing it? What is in their heads?

“183 people have been cautioned or charged with offences related to the bushfires – they’re the inconvenient facts, Prime Minister.”

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One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has paid homage to the majority of men in Australia, who she described as good, honest, hard-working and “not toxic” in a speech in Parliament.

The leading Queensland senator also called out the hypocrisy of feminists who push for “equality in boardrooms and politics” but not in less-glamorous male-dominated jobs like firefighting, truck driving and underground coalmining.

“I wish to honour the everyday men of Australia – the many males who go about their lives working hard to provide for their families, putting food on the table, without any fuss and without expecting any fanfare or huge accolades,” Senator Hanson told the Senate.

“You men help make Australia what it is today. It’s not often that the dedicated and hardworking men in this country collectively get a pat on the back as they deserve, so I’d like to do that now.

“Well done, men. You deserve to be honoured. I thank you.”

The speech followed absurd suggestions last month that firefighters, after they fought the recent bushfires, go home and beat their wives and partners.

“While the firefighters, who are mostly males, were battling the blazes, we had feminists telling us that after they fight the fires – no doubt exhausted, dehydrated, covered with ash and soot and with their skin singed from the heat – they go home and beat their partners,” Senator Hanson said.

“What an idiotic suggestion.

“There is zero research to back up that claim. It is perhaps no surprise that the comments were made by a good friend of the Greens.

“At the time, I stood firm and described the comments as disgusting and male bashing.

“I also made it clear that I have had a gutful of hearing from man-hating feminists. I believe in what is fair and just and I’m sick and tired of this criticism of men in Australia, especially if they’re white.”

Senator Hanson highlighted the contribution of men in difficult and non-glamorous roles, including firefighting.

“Why is there such an ongoing attack on the men of this country, particularly those who are showing strength and masculinity and who risk their lives to protect property, lives, pets and animals?” she asked in the speech.

“Well, I’m not going to man-bash. There is no reason to do it. The vast majority of men are not toxic; they are loving, caring, respectful and hardworking.”

Senator Hanson questioned why the feminist movement had not campaigned to increase female worker numbers in less-glamorous jobs.

“Why aren’t the feminists who demand equality in boardrooms and politics not rushing to sign up as volunteer firefighters?” she said.

“In August 2019, there were 208,900 truckies in Australia, and 4.3% were female.

“Well, the feminists should be ashamed at letting themselves down in this field – I have never seen a feminist recruiting campaign to get more women behind the wheels of a truck. Maybe it’s too demanding and not glamorous enough, so they’re happy for the men to do it.

“In August 2019, there were 51,300 coal mining workers in Australia, and 13.9% were women – no doubt less down in the mines.

“Why aren’t the feminists demanding that more women be given jobs several kilometres underground in the darkness, the heat and the danger on the machinery drilling for coal?”

Senator Hanson recognised the unique and important role of males in the community.

“I would like to say thank you to men; you help make Australia the great nation it is today.”

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This release has been distributed to media outlets in the Canberra Press Gallery and around Australia.

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