Federal police say One Nation senator Pauline Hanson’s comments about Muslim Australians do not meet the threshold for hate speech offences. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) made the determination after receiving reports and complaints relating to remarks Hanson made during an interview in February. The comments included claims framed as “good” versus “bad” Muslims, which were widely condemned by other politicians and Islamic leaders, who said the remarks were offensive and out of step with Australia’s values.
Multiple outlets report that the AFP received several complaints following Hanson’s appearance on Sky News on 16 February. After reviewing the matter, police decided the conduct does not breach relevant hate speech laws. The AFP has now finalised the case following that assessment.
The decision means no hate speech prosecution or further legal action is pursued in relation to the specific statements under consideration, according to the police determination reported by the outlets.
