Former AFL star Sam Newman has defended Pauline Hanson after she described Indigenous Australians as ‘the most primitive race on Earth’ during an interview.
Senator Hanson’s remarks were made during an appearance on the Jamie J Podcast last year, co-hosted by former Liberal candidate and News24 presenter Jaimee Rodgers.
Recalling a conversation with a teacher from Western Australia, Hanson claimed there was too much emphasis on Indigenous studies in schools.
She launched into a broader criticism of Indigenous Australians, claiming they had contributed little to the nation despite 60,000 years on the continent and saying: ‘They’re the most primitive race on Earth.’
When the footage resurfaced this week, Hanson offered a qualified apology on Tuesday saying: ‘If I offended people by using that (term, ‘primitive’), yes, I will apologise for that.’
But Newman said Hanson’s remarks were ‘extremely fair’ during a conversation on his You Cannot Be Serious podcast with Melbourne Underground Film Festival director Richard Wolstencroft.
Sam Newman defended Pauline Hanson’s comments about Indigenous Australians during the latest episode of his You Cannot Be Serious podcast
Newman described Hanson’s remarks as ‘extremely fair’ before making further comments about Aboriginal people and culture
When Wolstencroft raised the controversy, Newman supported her position, saying: ‘Extremely fair about the Indigenous people being primitive.’
‘Well, how could you possibly not say that?’ the former AFL star added.
The discussion then moved from Hanson’s comments to Newman’s point of view.
‘It’s not necessarily decrying or degrading or defiling Aboriginals, but like a lot of white people, they are basically a lazy and idle race,’ he said.
Newman anticipated criticism of that statement, saying it would be interpreted as him calling Aboriginal people lazy and idle.
‘So are plenty of white people and there’s plenty of success stories in the Aboriginal community and good on them,’ he added.
He also claimed there was ‘not one tangible thing’ to show for 60,000 years of Aboriginal culture and argued Indigenous Australians had not contributed to building the nation structurally.
That claim overlooks documented Indigenous engineering. For example, UNESCO’s World Heritage listing for the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape describes Gunditjmara channels, weirs and dams developed over at least 6,600 years to trap, store and harvest eels.
Melbourne Underground Film Festival director Richard Wolstencroft joined Newman for the discussion about Hanson and Welcome to Country
Newman also criticised Welcome to Country ceremonies, including the one held before the NFL game at the MCG.
‘It is just showboating,’ he said. ‘It is absolutely gratuitous nonsense.’
Later, he urged people to withhold applause at sporting events.
‘Don’t boo as I suggested and don’t necessarily turn your back on it. Just don’t applaud,’ he said.
Newman also explicitly declared his political support for the One Nation leader during the episode, saying: ‘Well, I’m a Hanson supporter.’
The defence of Hanson comes amid criticism of her original remarks from Labor, Liberal and crossbench figures.
In the resurfaced interview, Hanson questioned the value of teaching Aboriginal culture and language, claiming Indigenous Australians had ‘achieved nothing’.
On Tuesday, she said hurting people had not been her intention and acknowledged she was ‘not the most eloquent speaker’.
Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, whom Newman praised as a ‘fine person’ during his podcast, was among those who condemned Hanson’s remarks.
‘She did absolutely demonstrate wilful ignorance because there’s a hell of a lot more to Australia’s first people than simply what her remarks suggest,’ Price said.
‘I don’t care what excuses are being made. It was her tone and inflection throughout those remarks.’
Indigenous Affairs Minister Malarndirri McCarthy also rejected Hanson’s comments.
‘Those comments were completely baseless. They harm. They dehumanise First Nations people in Australia,’ she said.
– READ MORE: Bombshell as Pauline Hanson makes stunning apology to arch-rival Anthony Albanese
– READ MORE: Video emerges of Pauline Hanson labelling Aboriginal people ‘the most primitive race on earth’
