Pauline Hanson says residents trapped in Melbourne are ‘failures of multiculturalism’

Pauline Hanson has doubled down on her rant against Melbourne’s trapped tower residents, saying they highlight “the failures of multiculturalism”.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has reprised her spectacular offensive against the Melbourne residents trapped inside nine housing commission towers, saying they highlight “failures in the management of our multiculturalism that have now come back to bite us during the COVID-19 pandemic”.

Hanson was dropped by Channel 9 on Monday after an extraordinary racist rant on the Today show, in which she deemed the tower residents “drug addicts” and blamed their apparent inability to speak English for the towers being shut down.

“So the fact is you’ve got to look at why they are in that situation. Why is it 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,” she said.

A defiant Ms Hanson, wearing an Australian flag sweatshirt, then told Andrew Bolt on Sky Newsshe “couldn’t care less” about the ban, and has doubled down again in a fiery justification posted to her website last night.

RELATED: Today’s silence on Hanson backlash

RELATED: ‘I couldn’t care less’: Hanson defiant on ban

A defiant Hanson told Andrew Bolt she ‘couldn’t care less’ over being dropped by Channel 9. Picture: Sky News

Defending her comments, Ms Hanson said they were nothing more than “an honest assessment of failures in the management of multiculturalism that have now come back to bite us during the COVID-19 pandemic”.

After claiming she’ll love Australia “with pride until the day I die”, Ms Hanson re-emphasised her belief the tower residents were at fault because they had “rejected” the English language, leading them to ignore social distancing rules.

“The pandemic has revealed that the failure to assimilate into Australian culture and learn English can indirectly be deadly. Governments of all persuasions are guilty of being soft on promoting assimilation and the need for English proficiency, for the benefit of the individual and society as a whole,” the statement reads.

“Many who come to Australia are happy to enjoy the good things – our safety and stability, our friendly way of life, our relatively good government services, our generous welfare support – but then believe it’s acceptable to reject the culture and common language of their adoptive nation, and we now see the consequences.

“Health advice during this emergency has been published only in English, our national language, so it meant many residents from non-English speaking backgrounds, who have rejected the English language, missed the safety message.

“We now have an emerging second wave and the Melbourne housing apartment harsh lockdown. The two weeks in quarantine for the 3000 residents will be aided by taxpayer-funded food, alcohol and drug deliveries, government financial handouts, and more than 500 police guards.

“I want the best for Australia and it’s many residents from all cultural backgrounds. That is why I will keep highlighting the problems that need to be fixed, that many people feel afraid to discuss.

“We need to be allowed to debate the problems that exist in Australia – including issues that revolve around multiculturalism and Aboriginals – otherwise we will never smooth out the bumps that hold our nation back.

“I have said many times that criticism is not racism. To reject certain opinions and stifle debate on the issues that affect our nation is an attack on free speech and also a roadblock to a better future for all Australia.”

RELATED: ‘Repulsive’: Backlash that nixed Hanson

STATEMENT | Multiculturalism Has Come Back To Bite Us During Pandemic

"My comments in the media this week reflected an honest assessment of failures in the management of our multiculturalism that have now come back to bite us during the Covid-19 pandemic"https://t.co/vKYSvkjmXo

— Pauline Hanson 🇦🇺 (@PaulineHansonOz) July 7, 2020

Her Today rant was deemed “utterly repulsive” by viewers, and Nine’s Director of News and Current Affairs, Darren Wick, issued a statement on Monday afternoon announcing Hanson had been dropped.

“We don’t shy away from diverse opinions and robust debate on the TODAY Show. But this morning’s accusations from Pauline Hanson were ill-informed and divisive,” he wrote.

“At a time of uncertainty in this national and global health crisis, Australians have to be united and supportive of another. We need to get through this together.”

Speaking on The Bolt Report on Monday night, Ms Hanson said “English should be your first language” for immigrants coming to live in Australia.

“As long as I’m a member of parliament, I’m going to keep speaking out and saying what I feel, what needs to be said if we’re going to have a cohesive society,” she said.

“I couldn’t care less about whether I go on Channel 9 or not.

“I have my Facebook page, I connect with people. I don’t really care about Channel 9 or Channel 7.”