‘Sh*t in the street’: Pauline Hanson’s wild claim over government’s foot and mouth response
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has made a bizarre claim about Australian tourists in Bali during a wild speech.
Pauline Hanson has sensationally claimed Australian tourists are coming home covered in sh*t from Balinese cows in a bizarre rant about the government’s foot and mouth response.
“Cattle roam the streets, cattle sh*t on the ground, people walk in that sh*t,” the One Nation senator told parliament.
“That sh*t is then brought back in their clothing and on their person and back into this country.”
Despite warnings by department officials to not politicise the matter, the Coalition and One Nation on Thursday resumed their crusade to nail Agriculture Minister Murray Watt over claims he misled the Senate over sanitising foot mats at airports and vaccines.
For the second time in as many days, Senator Watt dismissed the claims.
“It is disappointing that One Nation and Coalition senators continue to play politics with this issue, despite the repeated pleas from industry for them to drop their … their politicisation on this matter,” he told the chamber.
Speaking later to reporters, the minister confirmed a new taskforce will be established to focus on how to best prepare for a potential outbreak.
Experts say the risk of the virus’ incursion in Australia was around 11 per cent, but Senator Watt warned it could rise.
“We have learned the lessons from the outbreak of Covid-19 and the former government’s lack of preparedness to respond to it. We are determined to not make the same mistakes that they made,” he said.
“It is prudent to make sure that we are prepared now.”
Australian authorities have been on alert since the highly infectious disease was first detected in Bali last month. The country’s FMD taskforce said it hoped to have the outbreak under control by year’s end.
The federal government has provided $1.5m to Indonesia to assist in the purchase of over one million livestock vaccine doses but with the vaccine in short supply not a single dose has hit the ground.
But Senator Hanson asserted the delay was just another cog in Labor’s plan to kill off cows to reduce emissions.
“They want to see cows and the beef cattle destroyed in this nation. They want to see emissions reduced, whichever way it comes about because it’s going to make them look good,” she said.
Last week, the Senate referred the government’s response to a parliamentary inquiry amid criticism it should have closed the border to the popular tourist island.
Industry has dismissed calls from the Coalition and One Nation to close the border to Indonesia, arguing it could risk trade relations.
Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson slammed the opposition and One Nation for stoking fears for their own political advantage.
“It almost sounded like the opposition wanted some kind of foot and mouth outbreak so they can make political advantage out of it,” he told the Senate.
“I’m all for holding the government to account. The Senate is going to do that … We will look at this very closely but do not make this situation worse.”
Big move 50 years on from Cyclone Tracy
Survivors of “the destructive force of nature at its very worst” have gathered with politicians to mark 50 years since the Australian tragedy.
Read more
Fresh blow for would-be homeowners
The International Monetary Fund has poured cold water on a key housing policy which would make it easier for first-home buyers to get a loan.
Read more
Albo’s tribute to Cyclone Tracy survivors
Political leaders have paid tribute to the victims and survivors of the devastating Christmas Eve cyclone that devastated Darwin and claimed 66 lives.
Read more