Below is the record of Speech from Senator Hanson talking about a young Queensland boy – Liam – and his struggle for Free Speech.

It turns out that it’s not only One Nation who is fighting to defend free speech in Australia.

There are fighters for this most important democratic right everywhere.

I am delighted to tell a story about one of these great Australians – a 14-year-old young man named Liam – and the lesson his story has for members of this Parliament.

About three months ago, in a Year 9 classroom in Queensland, an assignment was given to students: nominate your personal hero, write a speech about it, and deliver the speech to the class.

Our intrepid young speech writer began his assignment by nominating me as his hero.

Liam’s teacher immediately told him he couldn’t do that, as I was a figure that was “too controversial”.

Believe me when I tell you it’s not the first time this has happened in an education setting.

The teacher then suggested a number of other public figures, none of which Liam considered his personal hero.

Liam decided that he’d go ahead anyway, and write a speech about Senator Pauline Hanson.

He wrote about me representing forgotten Australians, and never giving up.

He wrote about my pride in Australia, and my patriotism.

He wrote about his own pride in Australia, and his own patriotism.

He wrote about my views on multiculturalism and its impacts in our nation.

He wrote about how I put Australia’s best interests first.

He wrote about my love for my country, and how he shared it.

And he wrote about bringing common sense back to Australia’s political system.

I think that last point was a very astute observation for a young man at the age of 14.

Many politicians have only a very tenuous relationship with common sense.

For standing up for himself, Liam got a failing grade and was forced to miss the sports session he always looked forward to at the end of the school week.

He spent that session in detention.

He was detained for standing up for his right to freely express his views.

Over the past few years that’s become an all-too-familiar story, all over the Western world.

That’s when Liam wrote to my office to let me know what had happened to him.

I was humbled by his description of me, and we should all be humbled by his personal courage.

Understandably I was also outraged at how he was treated.

Here was a young Australian who defied arbitrary authority to stand up for his right to free speech, and his right to express a political opinion.

Regardless of his opinion – and whether you agree with it or not – he showed great courage and he deserves great respect.

He exercised the most important democratic right any of us have, and he did so with dignity.

I know his parents are very proud of Liam.

In fact, his mother wrote to the school to protest his treatment and demand a passing grade for having successfully completed his assignment.

She was successful in getting Liam a C-minus.

I’ve since read his speech, and I’ve given it a B-plus.

I’d like to have given Liam an A, but I strongly believe we should always give our young people something to strive for.

It’s been my privilege to host Liam as my guest in Parliament House today.

It’s been my privilege, because Liam stood up for a democratic right I have championed since I first came to this place 28 years ago.

Liam’s story is a reminder that freedom of speech is a fundamental right that we must always protect, because there will always be those who try to take it from us.

Liam’s bravery is an example we can all follow.

It’s Liam who’s the real hero in this story.

He’s a hero to all Australians who believe in the right to freedom of speech, and to all Australians who stand to defend it.

And he is my personal hero.