WA Premier Roger Cook has called out comments from senator Pauline Hanson, branding the One Nation leader as “a career politician that’s always resorted to division to try to create anger.”
On Wednesday, the Hanson outlined her plan to clamp down on Muslim migration, end multiculturalism and axe the government’s climate change department in an hour-and-a-half talk at the National Press Club.
Speaking at the Urban Development Institute of Australia WA breakfast on Thursday morning, Cook acknowledged there was concern and a level of anxiety on the future of the WA community.
“But those who seek to get to gain from this anxiety are essentially taking legitimate concerns and using division to get some political advantage from that,” he said.
“Pauline Hanson, in particular, she’s been doing this for 30 years, and the one community she always blames, always blames for people’s struggles and anxieties are minorities.
“When she was first elected, it was the Asian community. It then became the Aboriginal community. Today it’s Muslims. Tomorrow it’s going to be a gender diverse community.
“She is attacking everything which represents harmony and inclusion in our community.
“As one, we should all stand up, because it is an attack on us, it’s an attack on our community, and it’s an attack on the future of our economy.”
Cook also took aim at WA Liberal leader Basil Zempilas and his recent announcement that the state opposition was open to working with One Nation ahead of the next election.
“What Pauline Hanson’s trying to do is to take this line of monoculture and create division in our community,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter if your ancestors are from Greece, from Italy, from Asia, Pauline Hanson is against you, and Basil Zempilas has signed up to that agenda.”
Zempilas said, as somebody with a background from another country, he does not share the view of the Premier.
“I don’t agree with many of the things that Pauline Hanson has said. I don’t agree with many of the things that she stands for,” he said.
“I’ve said that, I’m on the record as saying that. What I do agree with is those in our community that want to get rid of a bad Labor government.
“That appears to be what One Nation are promoting, and it is something that we are promoting. We want to get rid of a bad Labor government.
“My position, as I have stated, is in the lead up to the 2029 election. I have an open mind.”
One Nation’s WA leader Rod Caddies said he could “come up with a million ways to criticise Cook’s destructive Labor government.”
“Their failure to house the record number of homeless, chronic budget blowouts, spiralling cost-of-living crisis, and his encouragement of the very mass migration that is crushing West Aussies’ wages and destroying their dream of home ownership,” he said.
Caddies called the Premier’s attacks on One Nation self-serving.
“He knows that we’re the favourites in Kwinana, he knows we are the favourites in Secret Harbour, and he knows we are the greatest threat to his majority,” he said.
“So all I can say to Roger is, when you get back to your luxury penthouse one hour outside your electorate, come up with some punchier and more inventive attacks.”
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