‘Don’t apologise for being white’: Hanson caps UK visit

Do not apologise for being white, Pauline Hanson has told a sparse crowd at a conservative conference in London.

The One Nation leader told the function room – which footage from the event on Saturday showed to be less than one-third full – that Australia had been “flooded” with people and gone “completely woke” over transgender rights.

Her speech capped a high-profile European trip that included a podcast interview with English anti-immigration activist and convicted criminal Tommy Robinson and an appearance at the Dolce and Gabbana fashion show in Italy with billionaire donor Gina Rinehart.

“I’m getting feedback from Australia, from the media, saying how dare I associate with Tommy Robinson? How dare I speak to him?” Senator Hanson told the CPAC GB conference.

“Do not apologise for being white. I’m sick of hearing about white privilege.”

Australia was “too stupid” to get its sexual discrimination around transgender laws right, Senator Hanson also told the conference.

“There’s going to be so much psychological damage that’s going to be done to our future generations,” she said.

Also speaking at the event were Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and short-lived former Tory prime minister Liz Truss.

After an earlier meeting with Mr Farage fell over due to his resignation from UK parliament to recontest his seat in a by-election, Senator Hanson and the Reform leader met briefly on the sidelines of the conference.

The One Nation leader separately released a video responding to “false allegations” she wanted to reintroduce the White Australia policy after comments she made in her interview with Robinson.

“Never, ever have I advocated that and I don’t believe in that,” she said.

“Yes, I’ve been strong on immigration. Bringing the right people into the country in a measured way and people who want to assimilate and be Australians.

“Do I want people from certain countries who want to wear the burqa? No.”

In the interview with Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, Senator Hanson was asked how Australia ended up with “Pakistanis, Somalis, all of these African problems with violent Africans”.

She cited the abolition of the White Australia policy by the Whitlam Labor government in 1973 as the reason.

Deputy Liberal leader Jane Hume said Senator Hanson’s comments about the policy were “unnecessary”, “divisive”, “inflammatory” and “totally un-Australian”.

She said no one had raised the discriminatory immigration scheme or banning the burqa in her discussions with Australians.

“What they’re saying is that they want to see energy prices reduced, they want to see inflation put under control, they want to see taxes reduced, they want to see a sense of productivity and opportunity restored into our economy,” Senator Hume told Sky News on Sunday.

“They’re not interested in the things Pauline Hanson is talking about.”