One Nation's Queensland state secretary posted a racist 'spot the Westerner' video showing crowds in Australia, drawing widespread condemnation from across the political spectrum, the ABC reports.
The incident is pure Pauline Hanson territory - the mask slipping yet again. But this time it's not a rogue senator or a backbench nobody. This is the Queensland state secretary, a party official, which shows this comes from the top.
The video apparently showed various crowds and challenged viewers to identify 'Westerners' among people of different appearances and backgrounds. It's the kind of casual racism that One Nation claims it's moved beyond, while continuing to trade in exactly these narratives.
Political leaders across parties condemned the post. Labor, the Greens, and even some Coalition figures called it out for what it is - racism dressed up as cultural commentary.
What makes this particularly galling is One Nation's constant claim that it's being unfairly tarred as racist, that concerns about immigration and multiculturalism can be discussed without prejudice. Then a senior party official posts something like this.
The incident fits into One Nation's long history of dog-whistle politics and outright racism. From Hanson's original 'swamped by Asians' comments in the 1990s to various senators' inflammatory statements about Muslims and immigration, the party has repeatedly shown its true colours.
This normalisation of racist rhetoric in Australian politics is dangerous. When a registered political party with sitting senators can have officials posting this kind of content, it sends a signal about what's acceptable in public discourse.
The question is whether there will be any real consequences. Will the state secretary face disciplinary action? Will Hanson condemn the post unequivocally? Or will this be another incident that One Nation tries to deflect, dismiss, or defend?
Mate, there's a whole continent down here built on immigration and multiculturalism. This 'spot the Westerner' garbage doesn't belong in Australian politics.
