Pauline Hanson Refuses to Apologize for Primitive Race Comments

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has refused to apologize after a 2025 podcast interview resurfaced in which she described Indigenous Australians as the most primitive race on Earth. During the appearance on the Jamie J podcast, Hanson argued that teaching First Nations history in schools is a waste of time, claiming Indigenous people achieved nothing over 60,000 years and never invented the wheel.

Hanson defended her statements on Tuesday, asserting that Indigenous people were primitive compared to English settlers and claiming she acts as a voice for the Australian people. The remarks drew condemnation from across the political spectrum. Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy called the comments baseless and dehumanizing, while Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price accused Hanson of wilful ignorance.

Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek and Opposition education spokesman Julian Leeser also rebuked the comments, with Leeser stating that belittling Indigenous culture belittles the nation. The controversy coincides with a surge in popularity for One Nation, with a Resolve Strategic poll showing 27 percent of Australians would vote for the party, placing it within one percentage point of the ruling Labor Party.

This incident follows other recent inflammatory actions by Hanson, including labeling MP Andrew Hastie a traitor and criticizing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's mother. She has previously faced parliamentary censure and a seven-day ban for wearing a burqa in the Senate.