It seems the die has been cast.
The Albanese Government has settled on how to deal with the rise of One Nation. Attack. Despite Anthony Albanese’s rhetoric about the need to “lower the temperature” of politics in this country, they did the opposite. The Government’s attacks ramped up on Sunday after One Nation pulled off a stunning win in the formerly safe Labor WA State seat of Secret Harbour in a by-election.
In an indication the attack lines were co-ordinated, they followed the same theme and even used the same words. Mr Albanese opened up on “hard-right populists” who were “peddling politics that is dangerous, divisive and downright dishonest”. Treasurer Jim Chalmers warned of a “dangerous and divisive coalition of chaos — a three-ring circus of Liberals, Nationals and One Nation”. Pauline Hanson accused Mr Albanese and Dr Chalmers of fuelling the risk of political violence — including against her.
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Member for Perth Patrick Gorman, the assistant minister to the Prime Minister, weighed in on Monday. “Well, they are dangerous, populist and dishonest,” Mr Gorman said. But he said the Albanese Government had for years been urging all politicians to bring down the temperature of public debate.
But Attorney-General Michelle Rowland — the nation’s first law officer — continued the attack. On Tuesday Ms Rowland declared Senator Hanson had to look at herself and her own standards before accusing the Prime Minister of being responsible for the public threats she faces.
“I would suggest that Senator Hanson should examine what her party and what her ideology and her behaviour is doing,” Ms Rowland said. “When you go on and you entertain some of the individuals whom she has been entertaining, who are not only convicted criminals, but when you admit that you have a party that has been infiltrated by extremists and neo-Nazis, this is exactly the kind of dangers to which politicians are being put in this country”.
Senator Hanson demanded that the Attorney-General immediately retract her comments and apologise for “slandering One Nation and its supporters while appearing to excuse the violent threats directed against them”.
“Millions of Australians support One Nation. They are not extremists. They are not dangerous. And ministers should not use language that encourages others to treat them as if they are,” she posted on X.
“No minister, especially the Attorney-General and first law officer of the country, should suggest there is any justification for threats against Australians because of the political party they support.
“Labor should be asking why Australians are abandoning them for One Nation, not demonising those Australians for how they vote and putting them in danger,” Senator Hanson said. It is understood that Senator Hanson has had extra Australian Federal Police officers assigned to her and increased security at her home.
Politics has entered a dangerous space. The potential consequences do not need to be spelled out. It is time to put away the sort of inflammatory language we have heard in recent days.
It is the responsibility of all to ensure politics in Australia does not encourage or spark violent intentions.
