‘Orange elephant in the room’: Pauline Hanson’s political rise is inspiring racism, inquiry hears
Guardian AU
•Thu, 06 Aug 2026 07:05:28 GMT
📰 What Happened
A federal parliamentary inquiry into racism, hate and violence directed at First Nations people heard that the rise of One Nation and leader Pauline Hanson is fuelling racism. Former AFL inclusion manager Tanya Hosch told the committee she believed many of the things Hanson said had 'racist intent' and that the senator's conduct encouraged people to adopt 'similar behaviour and words'. Independent senator Lidia Thorpe referred to Hanson as the 'orange elephant in the room'.
🔍 The Backstory
The inquiry is holding public hearings in Melbourne this week, taking evidence from prominent Indigenous figures and sporting groups about experiences of racism, discrimination and violence. Witnesses warned that '1970s-style' racism appears to be returning, framed against the broader political climate and One Nation's electoral prominence.
🎯 Why It Matters
The testimony links mainstream political rhetoric to real-world harm against First Nations people, underscoring the social consequences of political discourse. The inquiry's findings on the relationship between political figures and rising racism could feed into national debates about hate speech, social cohesion and the treatment of Australia's Indigenous peoples.
A federal parliamentary inquiry into racism, hate and violence directed at First Nations people heard that the rise of One Nation and leader Pauline Hanson is fuelling racism. Former AFL inclusion manager Tanya Hosch told the committee she believed many of the things Hanson said had 'racist intent' and that the senator's conduct encouraged people to adopt 'similar behaviour and words'. Independent senator Lidia Thorpe referred to Hanson as the 'orange elephant in the room'.
The inquiry is holding public hearings in Melbourne this week, taking evidence from prominent Indigenous figures and sporting groups about experiences of racism, discrimination and violence. Witnesses warned that '1970s-style' racism appears to be returning, framed against the broader political climate and One Nation's electoral prominence.
The testimony links mainstream political rhetoric to real-world harm against First Nations people, underscoring the social consequences of political discourse. The inquiry's findings on the relationship between political figures and rising racism could feed into national debates about hate speech, social cohesion and the treatment of Australia's Indigenous peoples.