Barnaby Joyce has defended Pauline Hanson and One Nation during a tense Sunrise interview about immigration policy and the historical White Australia policy.
The exchange followed a Perth appearance at which Hanson denied that her call to ban migration from certain countries amounted to a new version of the racially discriminatory policy dismantled over decades after the Second World War.
Joyce told Sunrise that One Nation did not want the policy restored. He nevertheless supported mass deportations in some circumstances and argued that political opponents were misrepresenting Hanson’s position.
Why the wording matters
The White Australia policy was not one single law. It was a system of restrictions designed to keep Australia predominantly white, beginning around federation and progressively removed after the war. Modern migration rules are formally non-discriminatory.
Political parties can argue for lower migration, stronger border enforcement or deportation after visa cancellation. But proposals that target people by religion, ethnicity or national origin raise different legal, practical and social questions.
Hanson’s supporters say she is responding to public concern about population growth and social cohesion. Critics say the language unfairly treats large communities as a security threat and revives ideas Australia has rejected.