Pauline Hanson blasts 'stupid' Australian authorities in broad spray against trans rights, immigration and white guilt: 'Do not apologise'

By NICHOLAS COMINO, POLITICAL REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 01:15, 19 July 2026 | Updated: 01:25, 19 July 2026 One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has branded Australian authorities 'stupid' for granting greater rights and recognition to transgender people and told an overseas crowd they should 'not apologise for being white'. Addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) UK, Hanson accused the Albanese government of 'flooding our country with people', slammed net-zero climate policies and claimed Australia was becoming 'completely woke'. 'Do not apologise for being white. I'm sick of hearing about white privilege,' Hanson told the audience in London over the weekend.  'We are all human beings. We must learn from the experience of the past by the mistakes that have happened.  'We don't repeat that in reverse now, and I see that happening.' Hanson also criticised policies around transgender rights, labelling Australian authorities as 'stupid' for decisions she said had gone too far. 'In Australia, we've gone completely woke. You can't determine who's a male or female,' Hanson said. 'There are only two sexes: male and female. That's it. We have men getting involved in female sport. They're actually men. We have a big problem in Australia with this. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has branded Australian authorities 'stupid' for granting greater rights and recognition to transgender people and told a crowd they should 'not apologise for being white'  'You got it right in Britain. We don't learn, we're too stupid over there.' The One Nation leader doubled down on calls for a burqa ban, saying 24 countries had already brought one in, while slamming immigration, claiming the country was five to 10 years behind Britain and that Australia could not cope with the influx. 'We brought in 3,000 people from Gaza. We don't even know who they are. We're bringing people in,' she said. 'They have no intentions of assimilating. We see the change in our culture, of what's happened to our nation.'  She expressed her concerns about immigration in England, after visiting places such as Luton and the London borough of Tower Hamlets. 'I came over here, and I've been quite outspoken against the migrants that we bring from Islamic countries that are incompatible with our cultural way of life,' she said. 'You can't keep going down the path as you have. I fear for England. I really do. And you were the crystal ball to me to come over here and see what's happened here.  'And I know I have been right from what I've seen. I believe that we're about five to 10 years behind England and where we are here. And I'm not going to allow it to happen.' Hanson accused the Albanese government of 'flooding our country with people' (stock image) Hanson's speech capped a 10-day European 'fact-finding' tour that has generated a string of headlines. The trip included an appearance on a podcast hosted by far-right activist Tommy Robinson. Hanson also spent time with former Neighbours actor Holly Vallance, joining her for a tour of Blenheim Palace. Hanson also travelled to Italy, where she was photographed meeting mining billionaire Gina Rinehart at a luxury resort.  During the side trip, she attended a star-studded Dolce & Gabbana fashion show. Hanson was promoted by conference organisers as a headline speaker.  Former British prime minister Liz Truss, now leading CPAC UK, introduced the Queensland senator as a 'potential future prime minister of Australia'. Despite promotional fanfare, fewer than 150 people attended Hanson's address in a hotel function room in east London, with Australian media making up a considerable share of the audience.  Rinehart, who attended an earlier session, was not present for Hanson's speech. Hours later, Hanson pushed back on social media against criticism she received earlier in the week over allegations she was advocating a return to the White Australia policy. Uploading a video from London, Hanson called out The Guardian and The Sydney Morning Herald for their reporting. 'Those two leftie organisations want to try and destroy myself and One Nation and discredit me,' Hanson said. 'They're false allegations that I wanted to introduce the White Australia Policy. That is not the case. Never ever have I advocated that, and I don't believe in it.' Defending her stance on immigration, Hanson insisted she supports a controlled migration program focused on integration. 'I've been strong on immigration, bringing the right people into the country in a measured way, and people who want to assimilate and be Australians,' she said. She then outlined a list of issues she opposes, including the wearing of the burqa, cousin marriages, sharia law and child marriage. 'I will advocate that,' she said. 'How do you feel about it?'