One Nation’s Pauline Hanson Is Trying To Revive Her Junked Anti-Trans Education Bill

Two years after Pauline Hanson’s anti-trans education bill was rejected by a Parliamentary Committee, the One Nation MP is once again trying to revive her junked legislation. Hanson, who sought to equate teaching about LGBTQI issues to “paedophiles grooming children”, was slammed by Greens senators as a “peddler of sad and hateful politics”. 

Greens Senator Allman-Payne, who was a state secondary school teacher for around 30 years, said she would stand up against Hanson’s hate and bigotry. 

“It is not teachers in schools who are attempting to indoctrinate our young people. They are professionals that work hard to give every young person in this country the positive future that they deserve. It is the people on the other side of this chamber who are seeking to indoctrinate people with their hateful and bigoted views in our schools,” said the Senator, adding, “I will not subject young people in this country to your bigotry and hate. I will stand up every time I see it, and the Greens will call it out.”

‘Legislating A Far-Right Curriculum’

Pauline Hanson's transphobic, racist anti-science education bill is an absolute disgrace, driven by pure hate.

Young people are generous of spirit and accepting of others. They deserve an education that is grounded in truth and justice and human rights. #auspol pic.twitter.com/6TiKvLzG9h

— Penny Allman-Payne (@senatorpennyqld) November 22, 2022

Allman-Payne accused Hanson of attempting to push far-right talking points. “This bill isn’t about critical thinking; this bill is about legislating a far-right curriculum,” said the Senator, who pointed to some US states banning teachers from teaching about racism or sexuality. 

“This bill is dangerous. As a teacher with over 30 years of experience in our schools, I know it is an injustice to the young people in our schools, and it is an insult to teachers,” said Allman-Payne. 

“I invite you to come into a school and sit in front of a student who has made several attempts on their life because they have been subject to hate and transphobia. How dare you use our young people as political footballs. They are not wanting anything except to be accepted for who they are.”

Peddler Of Hateful Politics

A bigoted One Nation bill was resurrected for debate this morning.

It was an opportunity, at least, to remind One Nation of their irrelevance in this new parliament and that people will not stand for their hateful politics. pic.twitter.com/5GO618859b

— Mehreen Faruqi (@MehreenFaruqi) November 22, 2022

Deputy Greens leader in the Senate Mehreen Faruqi described Hanson’s bill as “a vile, unsubtle, blatant attempt to force schools to spread ridiculous and cooked One Nation beliefs which would harm trans and gender-diverse students and introduce anti-science concepts into classrooms around the country.”

“Senator Hanson remains a peddler of sad and hateful politics, spreading ignorant prejudices inside and outside this chamber. This bill and Senator Hanson’s outdated hateful views should be comprehensively rejected by the parliament. They should both go in the bin,” added Senator Faruqi. 

In her speech in the Senate, Hanson said her One Nation’s Australian Education Legislation Amendment (Prohibiting the Indoctrination of Children) Bill 2020, would ensure teachers would not “indoctrinate” children in schools

“They are not supposed to indoctrinate them with Marxism. They are not supposed to groom them into believing they can be a boy one day and a girl the next. They are not supposed to recruit them as warriors for climate change or social justice,” claimed Hanson, who found support from South Australian Liberal senator Alex Antic and fellow One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts.

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