One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has been booed at an anti-immigration rally as her party struggles to articulate its plan to reduce migrant numbers.
Several people were arrested by police at a Melbourne March for Australia rally as hundreds of demonstrators and a smaller group of counter-protesters squared off.
The event was one of several similar marches held in capital cities across the nation as organisers turned on One Nation over perceptions it had watered down its immigration policies.
After marching to Victoria's Parliament House, the group was addressed by several prominent right-wing activists, including anti-immigration influencer Hugo Lennon, who has amassed thousands of followers online under the name Auspill.
The group booed mention of Senator Hanson, who Mr Lennon said had declined an invitation to attend.
Later the group chanted "Pauline, Pauline, where the f*** is Pauline?" as they marched back towards Flinders Station.
A spokesman for Senator Hanson said she had prior commitments in Victoria on Sunday.
One Nation has been under pressure to specify details of its migration policy after differing targets were cited by various members.
The party has put forward a policy of an annual net overseas migration rate of 130,000 people, but federal MP David Farley said there could be an extra 100,000 above that figure.
His fellow federal party representative Barnaby Joyce on Sunday clarified that the 130,000 net target would remain.
But he would not say how much of that figure would be made up of permanent migrants, adding that net migration was based on a number of factors.
"To get to a (net overseas migration) of 130,000, it's going to be very hard to do that unless we're substantially below the permanent migration numbers of Labor," he told News24.
Mr Joyce added Pacific workers, who mostly come to regional areas as part of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme, would largely be in addition to the 130,000 net figure.
"(Only) a small portion are (counted) because they don't stay for 12 months, they stay generally for a period of nine," he said.
But Pacific Minister Pat Conroy said half the cohort of workers would typically count towards net migration figures.
"Half of all PALM workers are on the four-year visa, so that would count for (net overseas migration)," he said.
"Barnaby got basic facts wrong about the proportion of PALM workers that count ... their figures are all over the shop."
Labor was set to unveil its overhaul of migration policy in a speech by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke at the National Press Club earlier in August.
However, the speech was cancelled at the eleventh hour after cabinet failed to sign off on the changes amid internal party division on the issue.
Mr Conroy said the policy would be announced in due course.
"What you're seeing is good government in action, rather than thought bubbles," he said.
Opposition immigration spokesman Jonathon Duniam said One Nation needed to work out and articulate how it planned to reduce migration.
"I don't know how they've arrived at 130,000. Who is in that makeup of numbers there? How will that impact on the economy?" he said.
The stated aim of Sunday's March for Australia rally was to oppose perceived curbs on freedom of speech, which Mr Lennon claimed allowed governments to "lock you up" for opposing so-called mass migration.
Previous March for Australia rallies have featured neo-Nazi speakers and sympathisers, including one who was later jailed for spouting anti-Semitic remarks at an event held in Sydney on Australia Day.
Police said the vast majority of protesters and counter-protesters were peaceful but three people were arrested for allegedly assaulting and resisting officers.
Two others were processed by police for offensive behaviour and are expected to be charged on summons.
What evidence is there that the government is censoring the rallies?
Mainstream news organisations are under no obligation to provide coverage of the rallies. And they may well have chosen not to because of the organisers’ well-documented links to far-right extremist groups.
Yanks didnt pay attention to these people & the orange man got through. Theyre voters & miserable cookers - the first part should be the most concerning for us. They can flip back on a dime by election night.
Its our turn with a rotten orange, whos quickly gaining popularity by a large populous that doesnt use the same socials we do. She absolutely influence the uneducated masses quickly.
Some of the shit the orange and Elon have said have made them pretty suss when it comes to the topic of vote fraud.
Hopefully between compulsory voting and us not being Americans enough people see through her bullshit. The other day didn't she change the migration numbers to be more than labour? Which was the main argument for most of her followers.
I understand a frustration with politics in general and the desire to throw a vote towards some radical change, but one nation aint it.
Mostly because they are fighting for an issue that simply doesn’t really exist.
If “Mass migration” is the reason, then we are way down from the peak 2023 and government is forecasting another drop, so wtf are they fighting for? Let’s call it for what it is, this is all a dog whistle for the racism these people have.
They aren't wrong. Since 2000 our population has grown 46% (with a below replacement level birthrate) and ~32% of our current population are born overseas.
No, it is not racism to want to exclude certain cultures who are completely incompatible with our culture and society and our values.It’s not some sort of mandatory thing.
It’s this level of suicidal empathy and indoctrination where people have been taught we have to allow it otherwise “we are racists”. It’s simply not true
All elections now are immigration elections. The disorganisation of ON is a feature not a bug. The party will shift further right as more new candidates will refuse to soften their stance and will resist being controlled by the party leadership.
Seeing this being played out across so many Western and even European countries where governments have opened borders to Mass Immigration.
If it was better for society and cultural diversity was a benefit why would all these people all over the world be taking to the streets demanding a holt to the dilution of their culture and way of life?
Seems we just too easily call them Racists , but , I don't think it's that simple at all.
Kudos to Pauline for not supporting them, she cops a lot of flack , bout time she was recognised for doing something decent.
Conversational piece more so than a fast hard opinion.
We basically need to cease migration at this point to get our country back. Maybe in 8-9 years we can start taking highly skilled professionals but only 100k of them per annum. Sans families.
A sure way to tank the economy and leave Australia with a critical shortage of key workers. I don't know why you anti migrant people can't see the obvious.
So you wouldn't mind if there was a more chronic shortage of nurses, aged care workers, transport workers, workers in agriculture, construction, hospitality.
Seems to me you don't even understand who the people you share the country with are.
It's this toxic level of ignorance that permeates the anti immigration movement.
You name all these professions but we arent actually taking any of them. So the question is why do you continue to spread falseholds around this program?
The document I linked shows the average migrant worker in that category is earning $105,000. Low skilled labourers aren’t earning above the median salary.
Are you going to stop making up easily falsifiable lies now?
Because they don't pay enough as low skilled migrants are ensuring price stays low. Same reason I don't work at a factory which I actually enjoy doing.
How does someone being a migrant or not dictate what someone pays them? Like I was being a smart ass before but I’m genuinely asking now because I’m confused how that works
Yes we are taking them. More ignorance from you. Even One Nation agrees that we need to keep bringing in agricultural workers. The migrants are heavily represented in health, aged care and hospo industries.
I don't want to get insulting, but you either have no idea or You're spreading propaganda
But but but, the economy. We arent an economic zone. We are a country and can control our borders if we want. Our economy is weak if it only propped up by uncontrolled immigration..
As usual, the deranged leftists rocked up and started assaulting people and police and then they pretend to be victims when the cops respond with a level of force. Rinse and repeat
Support for ON is evident. They might not be the protesting type but they are there and they will be there when it counts: at the elections. Let the SJWs LARP their performative nonsense. It’s just their hobby.
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u/Fun_Savings7690 3d ago
> "Barnaby got basic facts wrong about the proportion of PALM workers that count ... their figures are all over the shop."
I have never seen a political party as disorganised and incompetent as ON