One Nation’s Barnaby Joyce Endorses Mass Deportation Policy While Rejecting White Australia Policy Revival

Barnaby Joyce has affirmed that One Nation does not support reinstating the White Australia policy but stands behind Pauline Hanson’s advocacy for mass deportations of visa overstayers.

Hanson and her team have since clarified and addressed contentious aspects of her European visit, including a podcast with far-right figure Tommy Robinson, her appearance at a Dolce & Gabbana fashion event, and a leisurely stay in Italy with mining billionaire Gina Rinehart.

Channel Seven’s Spotlight program revealed Hanson meeting Rupert Lowe, leader of the far-right Restore Britain party, who presented her with a pamphlet titled “mass deportations” to which she responded, “We’re on the same page.”

When asked by Seven reporter Liam Bartlett whether the concept of mass deportations was sound, Hanson replied, “I love it.” One Nation’s platform explicitly targets the deportation of 75,000 undocumented migrants.

Joyce did not retract these positions during his Monday interview on Sunrise, though he avoided using the phrase “mass deportations,” stating instead, “When it becomes clear they don’t belong here, they’ll be flown back to their country of origin.”

Regarding enforcement, Joyce emphasized, “If individuals present themselves for medical or other reasons, they must be removed from the country.”

Hanson’s daughter Lee defended her mother’s remarks on Monday, asserting that the leader had been misrepresented during the Robinson podcast.

“There is no scenario in which she supports the White Australia policy,” Lee Hanson stated to reporters, emphasizing the misinterpretation of her mother’s remarks about immigration policies.

Lee Hanson acknowledged her mother’s lack of eloquence, noting, “She’s not the most articulate person, but her stance is clear.”

Joyce similarly characterized the controversy during his Sunrise appearance, stressing that One Nation opposes the White Australia policy while linking immigration challenges to its historical dismantling. He stated, “The policy ended under Harold Holt, which was necessary. There were no issues initially, but over time, some segments of migrants failed to integrate or comply with Australian norms.”

Labor’s Tanya Plibersek criticized Hanson’s pattern during Sunrise, saying, “She’ll say anything, then when challenged, she pretends she never said it. She’s associating with criminals, disparaging Australia abroad, then suddenly opposing the White Australia policy while endorsing mass deportations.”

Despite ongoing controversies and scrutiny of colleague Malcolm Roberts’ conspiracy theories, One Nation has strengthened its polling, now matching Labor at 36% in the latest Newspoll.

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