Pauline Hanson made a racist comment when she told a Muslim senator to pack his bags and return to Pakistan, a judge has found.
Friday’s ruling marks a victory for Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi in a Federal Court lawsuit against the One Nation leader.
Judge Angus Stewart found Senator Hanson engaged in “seriously offensive” and intimidating behavior through a social media post in September 2022 that breached the Racial Discrimination Act.
The post was racist, nativist and anti-Muslim, the judge said.
The proceedings included a Twitter post by Senator Hanson, now known as X, telling the Greens MP to “fuck off and go back to Pakistan”.
“It is a strong form of racism,” Judge Stewart said Friday.
The post was in response to one from Senator Faruqi on the day Queen Elizabeth died.
The Greens deputy leader wrote that she could not mourn the passing of the leader of a “racist empire built on the stolen lives, lands and wealth of colonized peoples.”
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson (pictured) made a racist comment when she told a Muslim senator to pack his bags and return to Pakistan, a Federal Court judge has found.
Friday’s ruling marks a victory for Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi (pictured arriving at court in April) in a Federal Court lawsuit against the One Nation leader.
Senator Hanson’s claim that she did not know her Greens rival was Muslim when she sent the tweet was rejected by the court.
Similarly, his argument that he was simply engaging in political speech by pointing out the Greens MP’s hypocrisy in criticizing the monarchy while benefiting from moving and living in Australia was also rejected.
“Your tweet was an angry personal attack on Senator Faruqi,” Judge Stewart said.
Senator Hanson has been ordered to remove the tweet within seven days and pay the Greens vice-chairman’s legal costs for bringing the claim.
The judge did not make an order proposed by Senator Faruqi that the One Nation leader pay damages to charities.