Author: Patrick Hannaford

Source: Sky News 

Link: ‘Why shouldn’t people have a say’: Hanson slams ‘brain dead’ political class for ignoring public opinion on immigration | Sky News Australia

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has slammed Australia’s political class for refusing to listen to public opinion on immigration, after the Senate overwhelmingly rejected her bill for a plebiscite.

Australia’s population increased by almost 660,000 last year, with the majority of the increase being driven by record net migration of 548,800.

Speaking to 4BC radio overnight, Senator Hanson said that by rejecting her plebiscite bill the Senate was telling Australians they didn’t deserve to have a say over an issue that affects their way of life and standard of living.

“We have to include people, we have to listen to the public, and that's why I put up this plebiscite,” Senator Hanson said.

“Three of us voted for it, to give people this say in the immigration levels into Australia, and (the rest of the Senate) said 'nope, you don't need to have a say in this. We know how to handle this’.

“We're talking about people's lives future, we're talking about the country, why shouldn't people have a say in it?”

The One Nation leader and founder said most of Australia’s political class were “quite well off” and “not in tune with the grassroots”, yet they were “making decisions on behalf of the 27 million people out there.”

“The government and members of parliament, most of us are quite well off, OK. We own our own homes, it doesn't affect us. 

“They're career politicians. They've come up through the ranks as union reps or they've actually worked in politicians’ offices, they've never owned their own businesses. Never… had staff or anything like that.

"So these people are just, they’re ‘Yes’ people. And to me, a lot of them are brain dead; they don't research, they are not in tune with the grassroots Australians. And yet they're making decisions on behalf of the 27 million people out there.”

Senator Hanson said the reason the government had increased immigration numbers to record levels was because the country is in a per capita recession. However, she said adding more people to increase productivity was a “Ponzi scheme”.

"The main thing is that we don't have the housing. So there was about 160,000 houses built -fewer than were built last year compared to the year before," she said.

“A lot of builders are going out of business. The cost of housing has gone up, we don't have the tradies to build the houses.

“If we can't put a roof over the Australians that are here already, why the hell are we inviting more people in this country? Over half a million people… it beggars belief.

"The Australian people are suffering because of it, and it's got to stop."