Pauline Hanson accuses Nine of silencing free speech after attacks on Melbourne tower residents

Pauline Hanson accuses Channel 9 of trying to ‘silence’ her after her attacks on migrants in Melbourne’s lockdown towers.

Pauline Hanson has blasted Channel 9 for banning her from the Today Show over her attacks on migrants and addicts living in Melbourne’s nine COVID-19 lockdown towers, saying the network is telling everyone with controversial views to stay silent.

Senator Hanson sparked outrage on Monday morning when she said in her regular Today Show spot that the tower residents should not get extra financial support from the Victorian Government while in quarantine. She also accused some residents of not following social distancing rules and not learning how to speak English.

After the social media backlash, Nine’s news and current affairs director Darren Wick announced hours later she would no longer be a regular contributor to the program.

Senator Hanson told The Australian that while she did not care about the ban, she believed Channel 9’s actions were “detrimental” to free speech and that she stood by her comments.

“We’re getting to the point to where you can’t give your opinion. What Channel 9 has done is detrimental to freedom of speech,” she told The Australian.

“Channel 9 is going down the wrong path here. People in Queensland are very concerned about COVID. I’ve been speaking about people coming here and not learning the English language for years … they don’t know what to do.

“I really don’t care if I don’t go on Channel 9. I have Facebook followers and speak to people in the street and I go on numerous Sky programs. It’s no skin off my nose.

“But Nine’s message is not to me, it’s to everyone that if you step outside the boundaries, you’ll be silenced.”

Senator Hanson began as a regular contributor to the Today Show last year. The One Nation leader moved to Nine after she broke off her old relationship with Seven News rival Sunrise over a fiery clash with host David Koch about the Christchurch massacre.

Mr Wick said in a statement that Senator Hanson’s comments were “ill-informed and divisive”.

“The Today Show has advised Pauline Hanson that she will no longer be appearing on our program as a regular contributor,” he said in a statement.

“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.

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

Pauline Hanson will no longer be appearing on @TheTodayShow following her comments this morning pic.twitter.com/OYlMo0n4Ky

— Tom Steinfort (@tomsteinfort) July 6, 2020

On Monday morning, Senator Hanson accused the inhabitants of the COVID-lockdown Melbourne towers of being “drug addicts” and refugees who could not follow coronavirus restrictions because they had not learned English.

“The fact is a lot of them are drug addicts as well, they are getting their medication, they are alcoholics so they’re being looked after in that way,” she told the Nine Network

“They are actually getting paid extra money. Why are they getting paid extra money? For what? They are not leaving the premises.

“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. They all used a lot of the same laundry.

“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.”

Senator Hanson’s office has been approached for comment.