Fierce fight between Pauline Hanson and Lidia Thorpe takes a dramatic turn with three-word claim

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has issued libel warnings to Lidia Thorpe and Channel Nine’s Today program after the senator labeled her a ‘convicted racist’ on national television.

Senator Hanson’s senior legal team, which is also handling her racism case against Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi, rescinded the legal letters after Senator Thorpe appeared on the program on Thursday morning.

The letters, titled ‘immediate insult’, demanded that Senator Thorpe apologize or face legal action for calling Senator Hanson a ‘convicted racist’.

‘This morning you aired an interview on the Today Show on the Nine Network in which you mentioned our client,’ the letter said.

‘During that interview you claimed that Senator Hanson had been convicted of racism. This never happened.

‘No such crime has been alleged against our client and there is no such conviction.

‘It is extremely irresponsible for you to use this language on national television. ‘Given how clearly false your claim is, this incident cannot have happened innocently.’

The letter continued: ‘We request that you immediately and publicly retract the allegation that our client has been convicted of a criminal offense and apologize to him for your inappropriate behaviour.

Lidia Thorpe (pictured) called Pauline Hanson a ‘convicted racist’ on national television on Thursday morning

Senator Hanson (pictured) issues sleaze warning to Senator Thorpe and Nine Network

‘You are a public official with a platform that should be used responsibly. Part of this involves immediately correcting yourself when you misspoke.

‘We look forward to your prompt response.’

A statement from Senator Hanson added: ‘Media organizations that repeated Lidia Thorpe’s false claim that Senator Pauline Hanson had been ‘convicted of racism’ have been advised that they may face court proceedings.

On 1 November, a Federal Court ruled that Senator Hanson racially defamed Senator Faruqi by telling him to ‘go back to Pakistan’ in a message on X, formerly Twitter.

Senator Hanson’s legal team appealed the decision, saying his smear was not racist as he had previously told another senator to ‘go back’ to New Zealand.

His team also argued that Senator Hanson’s comment could not be considered a racial slur because he did not mention Senator Mehreen’s skin color.

Senator Hanson is using nearly $700,000 donated by supporters to fund his impressive legal team.

He will be represented by prominent lawyer Sue Chrysathanou and her lawyer Anthony Jeffries, who also represented Lisa Wilkinson in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case.

Judge Angus Stewart’s findings, delivered on November 1, found that post

However, Senator Hanson’s attack was not racist because it was ‘solely aimed at Senator Faruqi, there was no explicit or implicit reference to colour’.

“No solicitation was made to Senator Hanson, nor was it alleged, that the Hanson tweet targeted immigrants (in general) and ‘people of color,'” according to defense documents seen by . news.com.au stated.

Fatima Payman (pictured) accused Senator Hanson of being a ‘racist’ for presenting a document questioning her right to sit in parliament due to her Afghan origins

Senator Hanson’s team also countered accusations that the post was anti-Muslim.

“The chief justice erred in finding that the Hanson tweet targeted Muslims and conveyed an anti-Muslim message, when there was not a single implicit or explicit reference to Islam in the Hanson tweet,” he said.

‘…The chief justice erred in concluding that Hanson’s tweet was, in all the circumstances, reasonably likely to offend, humiliate, humiliate and intimidate groups of people by reference to groups of ‘black people who immigrate to or are Australian’. relatively recent immigrant heritage’ and ‘Muslims of different ethnic backgrounds in Australia’.

‘None of these groups were defended by Senator Faruqi, and Senator Hanson was not notified that these groups would be subject to adverse findings against him until the publication of the decision.’

There was tension between Senator Hanson and Senator Thorpe after the controversial Indigenous politician said Senator Hanson was a ‘convicted racist’ following Fatima Payman’s angry attack.

Senator Payman, who left Labor to form his own party earlier this year, attacked the One Nation leader, accusing him of racism and claiming he was spreading hatred and division.

Their disagreement was triggered by a document that Senator Hanson put on the table. Senator questioned whether Payman had Afghan citizenship banned him from serving in parliament.

Article 44c of the Australian constitution prevents people with citizenship of another country from sitting in parliament.

On 1 November, a Federal Court ruled that Senator Hanson (pictured) racially defamed Mehreen Faruqi by telling her to ‘go back to Pakistan’ in a message on her former Twitter account, X.

Senator Payman was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, but gained Australian citizenship in 2005.

However, this did not automatically revoke his Afghan citizenship, thus raising questions about his eligibility to sit in the senate.

Senator Payman claims that he contacted the Afghan embassy in Australia in October 2021 to renounce his Afghan citizenship, but they were unable to do so because they had no relationship with the new Taliban government.

However, Senator Payman received legal advice from Labor that he had taken ‘all reasonable steps’ to revoke his foreign citizenship and was entitled to do so.

On Wednesday, Senator Payman lashed out at the One Nation leader in parliament, suggesting he ‘go to Afghanistan and talk to the Taliban about this’.

“All Senator Hanson is doing here is spreading hatred, spreading divisiveness,” Senator Payman said angrily.

‘I’m very honored to be living rent-free in Senator Hanson’s mind, but I think you have better things to do than worry about Section 44.’

Senator Hanson responded by insisting that Senator Payman’s ‘qualification to sit in the Australian Senate remains uncertain’.

Senator Hanson’s legal team claimed his comment about Senator Faruqi (pictured) was not racist as Faruqi had previously told another senator to ‘go back’ to New Zealand.

He said the strict standards applied to elected representatives during the 2017 eligibility crisis, when 15 politicians lost their seats because they held dual citizenship, did not apply to Payman.

‘If he had been elected in 2016 instead of 2022, he would have been referred to the Supreme Court like everyone else,’ Senator Hanson said.

‘If he were elected as a Conservative in 2022 I suspect he would be dispatched immediately.’

The One Nation leader criticized the Greens for trying to block the introduction of documents outlining their concerns about Senator Payman’s suitability.

‘The Greens have never respected our Constitution. “Marxists always belittle the institutions of democracy,” he said.

‘I’m sure they’ll want to rip up the Constitution and replace it with a version of the communist manifesto.’

Senator Hanson called on Senator Payman to provide “much more evidence” of his attempts to revoke his Afghan citizenship, arguing that failure to do so would set a “dangerous precedent”.

‘There is a very good reason why the architects of our Constitution demanded that our elected representatives have undivided loyalty,’ said Senator Hanson.

‘It is also the expectation of the Australian people that no foreign national or dual citizen will be allowed to sit in the seat of our democracy.’

Senator Thorpe (pictured) told the Today program on Thursday he had ‘no regrets’ about ‘standing up’ against racism

These comments echo Senator Payman’s earlier comments, including Senator Hanson’s maiden speech in which he said Australia was ‘in danger of being overrun by Asians’ and that if he went to Australia ‘Aboriginality would no longer exist’ It came after he was accused of racism. The party was in power.

‘If this is not racism, what is?’ Senator Payman shouted as he slammed his fist on the Senate table.

Independent Ralph Babet could be seen trying to contain his shock at the explosion over Senator Payman’s shoulder.

‘Oh, isn’t that racist?’ Senator Payman added sarcastically.

‘Someone get the dictionary because Senator Hanson doesn’t know the definition of racism.

‘Just a few weeks ago you told Senator Faruqi to ‘go away to Pakistan’; You are not only vindictive, evil and evil, but you also cause shame to the human race. ‘There is no dignity whatsoever as a senator in this prestigious place.’

Senator Thorpe repeatedly shouted ‘You are a convicted racist!’ He was heard shouting.

Senator Thorpe (left) repeatedly shouts ‘You are a convicted racist!’ He was heard shouting. Sen. Hanson (R) on Wednesday.

Senator Thorpe branded all of Australia ‘racist’ and cited his own activism as the reason for his ban, in a speech to parliament on Thursday, after he was suspended from parliament for the remainder of the sitting year.

“This is a very racist and divided country,” he told reporters.

‘But that’s not what we want, we want peace, we want liberation, we want self-determination. ‘We want to decide our own fate, not with the local police.’

Senator Thorpe previously said on the Today show that he had “no regrets” about “standing up” against racism.