The Nation Has Been Destroyed - And You Say "Too Harsh!"

The Witch is Dead!

Pauline Hanson will in my mind go down as one of the blackest (excuse the pun) in our nations short history.  This woman brought this countries political system to its knees and caused our nation to become so divided and to give minorities with horrible views a main stream voice that I found totally repulsive.

To recap, Pauline Hanson was the woman who managed to get herself a seat in Federal Parliament (after being a member of BOTH political parties previously) and made a maiden speech in Parliament that called for the ceasing of Asian Immigration and the return to a "White Australia Policy" reminiscent of the 1950's.

In turn, she turned this country upside down with outrageous claims that migrants of the non-Anglo Saxon variety be banned from entering, those in deported, and those who manage to stay be excluded from taking "white Australian" university spots, hospital beds and jobs.  She turned Australia into a hotbed of racial vilification that saw our country's good name thrown in the mud, particularly in the eyes of Asian nations.

Of course though, she found a reasonable amount of supporters amongst some of our less enlightened citizens and I can recall many a story in the media about Ku Klux Klan groups forming, racially motivated violence and other terrible events.

Her newly created part One Nation swung the balance of power in the Queensland State Election and probably robbed the Federal Labor Party from taking power in the Federal election of that time.

Now it has been discovered that the formation of the One Nation party was done illegally and fraudulently and as a result she has been sent to jail for 3 years.  For the pain and suffering she has inflicted upon us all for her racist views, her complete lack of intelligence, her nasally voice, her stupidity (I know, I have to mention it twice) and for her arrogant self-serving attitude to Australian politics, I think 3 years is a good price to pay.

For all the civil libertarians out there about how we should not be jailing people for political speech, you are wrong.  Hanson made her attempt to spread her racist views illegally and hence has to pay the bill.

RELATED READING

"Don't Cry for the Sleazy Grub", Alan Ramsay, SMH 23 August 2003 [article]

"It's Too Harsh", News Limited, 23 August 2003 [article]

The Unofficial Pauline Hanson Web Site [link]