- AFP officers investigating One Nation leader's comments
- It comes after Labor's new hate speech laws were introduced
- She's accused her opponents of using the law against her
Pauline Hanson has been referred to police under Labor's new hate speech laws for claiming there are 'no good Muslims' in Australia.
The Australian Federal Police confirmed last week they had received 'reports of a crime' in relation to the One Nation leader's inflammatory comments about Muslim people.
While it's not known who filed the police report, Hanson has now accused her political opponents of trying to 'put her back in jail', referring to her brief stint behind bars in 2003 for election fraud, which was later successfully appealed.
'Let me send a very clear message to those within Labor and the left side of politics. Stop gaslighting the Australian public,' Hanson said in a social media post.
'If Australia doesn't speak up now - our nation will fall victim to the same issues being experienced across Europe, the UK, Canada and other western societies.'
While Hanson has offered a partial apology for her original comments, she later singled out the western Sydney suburb of Lakemba, known for its high Muslim population, as somewhere people 'feel unwanted' and do 'not want to be'.
The new hate speech laws, which were legislated in January in response to the Bondi Beach terror attack, can carry jail terms for anyone advocating or threatening violence against a targeted person or group distinguished by race, religion, sex, nationality or ethnic origin.
These offences attract a maximum penalty of 5 years' imprisonment, and if the conduct would also threaten the peace, order and good government of the Commonwealth, a maximum penalty of 7 years' imprisonment.
Pauline Hanson has accused her political opponents of trying to put her 'back in jail'
Hanson spent 78 days behind bars in 2003 after she was wrongly convicted for election fraud (pictured with her son after she was released from Brisbane Women's Correctional Facility)
The Daily Mail is not suggesting Hanson has committed these offences.
2GB's Ben Fordham slammed the reports on Monday and questioned the use of AFP officers to assess political commentary.
'Why are we sending in the AFP to investigate a TV interview with a politician? Don't the cops have enough to deal with?' Fordham said. 'There's serious organised crime, national security threats and online exploitation networks, to name just a few.'
'I'm not saying we should tolerate hatred, but we should think carefully about expanding the reach of criminal law into political expression.'
'We could see politics become a dangerous game of dobbing in your political enemy because you don't like what they're saying, or the way they're saying it.'
While the Albanese Government's proposal to criminalise inciting racial hatred in the new hate speech laws was ultimately scrapped, Hanson's comments could still be subject to review by any jurisdiction where the comments were broadcast.
In NSW, it is a criminal offence to publicly threaten or incite violence towards a person or group of people on numerous grounds, including people's religious beliefs and affiliations.
It is also an offence to publicly incite hatred on the grounds of race.
The AFP has received reports of crime in relation to Hanson's comments last week
Anthony Albanese said it's up to police to determine whether Hanson's comments breached hate laws
Hanson's comments were widely slammed across the political spectrum, including by Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor Bilal El-Hayek, a Nationals senator and former members of her own party.
El-Hayek told the ABC on Friday: 'It's an open and shut case. What she said was highly inflammatory... clearly, her target was clearly the Muslim people. And I have no doubt that her remarks will incite someone.'
Nationals senator, Matt Canavan, branded Hanson's comments as 'divisive, inflammatory and un-Australian' and called for her to step down as party leader.
Former One Nation candidate, Emma Eros, also weighed in, accusing Hanson of dividing Australians and embarrassing party supporters.
'It's just a ridiculous statement to make; Pauline's never really been articulate,' she said. 'Don't give a half-a*d apology. Articulate your views properly and mean them.'
An AFP spokesperson told the Daily Mail officers were aware of comments made during a media interview last week.
'The AFP as received reports of crime in relation to this matter. Further comment will be made at an appropriate time.'
It's understood 21 individuals have been charged since the AFP's National Security Investigations teams were established in September.
The teams target groups and individuals causing high levels of harm to Australia's social cohesion.