This week Pauline Hanson was banned from the Today show for 'ill-informed' and 'divisive' comments.
Her 'thought' crime was actually stating a few facts that many would prefer you to ignore. Some described it as a 'racist rant' but it was nothing of the sort.
I know many readers would be very supportive of Hanson (my personal experience has led me in a different direction) but, regardless of what you think of her personally, she only spoke the truth on this occasion.
Let's consider what she said in respect to the quarantining of people in public housing blocks in Victoria.
“We’ve seen food being delivered there. The fact is a lot of them are drug addicts, they’re getting the medication, they’re alcoholics so they’re being look after that way.”
Fact: food is being delivered there. Fact: some of them are drug addicts and we know methadone is being delivered. Fact: some of them are alcoholics but I don't know if the booze is being delivered to them or not.
“A lot of these people are from non-English speaking backgrounds, probably English is their second language, who haven’t adhered to the rules of social distancing.”
According to Today, that's more division from Hanson - except that what she said is true.
A lot of these people are from non-English speaking backgrounds. A lot of them would have English as a second language. We also know that the social distancing message didn't get through (or was ignored) in many migrant communities because of language or cultural barriers.
Even Victoria's chief health officer said as much:
"We know that there are some migrant communities, recent migrants or culturally and linguistically diverse communities, who are overrepresented now with some of our new cases […] It's our obligation as government to reach those people. It's not their fault if we're not going in with appropriate engagement."
That's sounds like a different version of what Hanson said on Today:
“So the fact is you’ve got to look at why they are in that situation, why has the government gone to this high-rise building and shut it down? Possibly because a lot of these people weren’t doing the right thing.”
It's crystal clear to anyone with open eyes that some people weren't doing the right thing. Now these ungrateful whiners dare complain about 'being imprisoned' in their taxpayer funded homes because of their own decisions.
Yes, I do realise that they aren't all irresponsible whiners but we've all been adversely impacted by the behaviour of those around us recently. In such circumstances you make the best of the hand you are dealt.
Hanson was correct once again when she said that many of those living in these apartment buildings had come from much worse and more threatening backgrounds.
The people subject to quarantine in this case are just like those who have been isolated after coming back from overseas or because of exposure to Covid carriers.
They aren't going to starve as some have claimed and they have the added benefit of staying in their own taxpayer funded homes.
Unfortunately, the whiners and race-baiters have used the opportunity, with the help of a gullible media, to see racism everywhere; except where it truly exists.
"There are none so blind as those that will not see. The most deluded people are those who choose to ignore what they already know."
Cory Bernardi is the author of seven books and has been a member of the Australian rowing team, a publican, an investment portfolio manager and spent nearly 14 years as an Australian Senator.
