One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has failed in her bid to overturn a Federal Court ruling that she made a racist remark online. The Full Court of the Federal Court dismissed her appeal on Monday, nearly four years after the social media post that led to the finding.
In 2024, Hanson was found to have racially vilified deputy Greens leader Mehreen Faruqi. The finding stemmed from a tweet posted shortly after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, in which Hanson told Faruqi to "piss off back to Pakistan." In his original Federal Court decision, Justice Angus Stewart ruled the remark was "seriously offensive" and a "strong form of racism."
Hanson's legal team had argued that while the remarks were unpleasant, they did not intimidate people of color. However, the appeal court upheld the original decision.
The exchange began with a post on X, formerly Twitter, from Senator Faruqi offering condolences for the Queen's death. Faruqi also stated she could not mourn the passing of the leader of a "racist empire built on stolen lives, land and wealth of colonised peoples." Hanson responded, stating she was "appalled and disgusted" by the comments.
"When you immigrated to Australia, you took every advantage of this country," Hanson wrote. "It's clear you're not happy, so pack your bags and piss off back to Pakistan."
Senator Faruqi described the remark as the "ultimate racist slur" after her initial victory in the Federal Court.
This social media dispute is not the only instance of public clashes between the two politicians. In the past, Senator Faruqi has accused Hanson of racism and Islamophobia, including when Hanson wore a burqa into Parliament on a previous occasion.
Hanson, 72, has recently faced scrutiny following a European trip and meetings with anti-immigration activist Tommy Robinson. She also told a conservative conference that Australia had been flooded with migrants. Additionally, she attracted criticism for comments describing domestic violence as a "two-way street," which she insists were taken out of context.
A recent Roy Morgan poll indicated a dip in One Nation's primary vote, falling by more than five percentage points to 22.5 percent in a week.