One Nation leader Pauline Hanson made a hate tweet against a Greens senator because of his decades-long tendency to make similar racist comments, a Federal Court judge is expected to be told.
A five-day hate speech trial is set to begin in the Federal Court on Monday, when Greens deputy federal leader Mehreen Faruqi will allege Senator Hanson engaged in racial discrimination through a September 2022 tweet.
At the time, Senator Hanson wrote that Senator Faruqi should “pack her bags and leave for Pakistan.”
The tweet came in response to the Greens senator’s comments following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Senator Faruqi wrote that she could not mourn the passing of the leader of a “racist empire built on lives, lands and wealth stolen from colonized peoples.”
Senator Mehreen Faruqi will allege that Senator Pauline Hanson engaged in racial discrimination
In the lawsuit, the One Nation leader is accused of engaging in illegal racial profiling offensive behavior because of the tweet.
Senator Faruqi seeks $150,000 in damages.
In response, Senator Hanson denied that the social media post was sent because of anyone’s race, color, national or ethnic origin.
In March, Judge Angus Stewart dismissed an attempt to suppress a wide range of evidence proposed by the Greens deputy leader for the trial.
This included expert reports on racism and the phrase “go back to where you came from,” as well as evidence purporting to show a decades-long tendency by Senator Hanson to make racist comments.
‘(If) you have a tendency to make public statements because of the race, color, or national or ethnic origin of a person or group of people or to make comments consistent with white supremacist views, you are more likely to have posted the tweet in question because of’ the reason alleged,’ Judge Stewart previously wrote.
Both senators are expected to take the witness stand to testify.
Senator Hanson wrote that Senator Faruqi should “pack her bags and head back to Pakistan.”