One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has sparked controversy after suggesting political opponents should be sent to an island during an interview with former UK prime minister Liz Truss.<\/p>\n
The Queensland senator made the comments during an appearance on The Liz Truss Show, while discussing environmental activists and independent politicians.<\/p>\n
They also discussed what Truss describes as \u201cthe blob\u201d \u2014 a term she uses for public servants and institutions she believes obstruct conservative governments.<\/p>\n
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Pauline Hanson suggests putting critics on an island<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got some of them sitting on the floor of parliament,\u201d Senator Hanson said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re called the Greenies, and a couple of the independents.<\/p>\n \u201cHow about we just round them all up and give them an island or somewhere? And say, \u2018Here, go and do what you want to do over there. Leave us alone.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n The comment prompted laughter from Truss, who replied: \u201cDidn\u2019t we try that with Australia in the first place?\u201d<\/p>\n The One Nation leader has been conducting a series of interviews with conservative British commentators during what appears to be an overseas media tour, while also attending the UK\u2019s Conservative Political Action Conference.<\/p>\n Among those she has met is controversial British activist Tommy Robinson, whom Senator Hanson described as \u201cbrave\u201d during a visit to his hometown of Luton.<\/p>\n Elsewhere in the interview, Hanson ruled out entering a formal coalition agreement with the Liberal and National parties, saying she wants \u201cto remain totally independent\u201d.<\/p>\n Hanson also repeated her call for Australia to withdraw from the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, arguing the agreement was \u201cout of date\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I don\u2019t care about those people,\u201d she said of asylum seekers, adding Australia should decide who enters the country without being bound by international agreements.<\/p>\n She also called for a reduction in the size of the federal public service.<\/p>\n She claimed Australia had about 216,000 public servants, including an increase of 50,000 under the current government, and said One Nation would push for a \u201cbig clean-out\u201d if it held the balance of power or formed government.<\/p>\n \u201cIf One Nation does get government or is in a position to have that shared balance of power in either house, yes, we\u2019re going to push for it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hanson explains stance on monoculture and maternity leave<\/p>\n 5 min read<\/p>\n