Is Australia seeing an immigration backlash? - Asia Specific podcast, BBC World Service

Once dismissed as a political sideshow, Pauline Hanson has long been known as much for her inflammatory anti-immigration rhetoric as for her stunts, like wearing a burka in parliament to press for a ban on the garment. Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 https://bbc.in/3VyyriM While support for her right-wing populist One Nation has risen and fallen over the years, Hanson’s party now appears to be riding a fresh wave of momentum, fuelled by voters frustrated with mainstream parties they say no longer understand their struggles. Best known for its hardline anti-immigration stance, One Nation has courted controversy from the start. In her 1996 maiden speech, Pauline Hanson warned Australia was “in danger of being swamped by Asians”, setting the tone for her brand of politics. On March 21, in a South Australia state election, her party secured more than 20% of the vote, its first major breakthrough outside Hanson’s home state of Queensland. It’s also the strongest showing by a minor party in a system long dominated by two political heavyweights: Australian Labor Party and the Liberal Party of Australia. What does this mean for Australian politics and the future of its immigration policies? To unpack that, Asia Specific podcast host Mariko Oi speaks to Simon Atkinson, the BBC’s producer and reporter based in Queensland, and Bill Birtles, a senior journalist on the podcast. Read more about Pauline Hanson on the BBC here: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2... 00:00 Introduction 01:07 Who is Pauline Hanson? 03:50 How her party’s poll numbers have changed 04:32 How Pauline Hanson has changed her message 06:25 Hanson’s focus on Islam 07:19 What the South Australian election result means 09:18 What’s driving increasing support for One Nation? 10:34 Did the Bondi beach terror attack be a factor? 12:05 Housing affordability causing discontent 13:00 Is Hanson comparable to Nigel Farage or Donald Trump? 14:05 The immigration debate in Australia 16:15 Misperceptions of Australia’s diversity 17:22 Australian an immigration outlier in Asia Pacific 19:40 Can One Nation maintain its polling momentum? Watch more episodes of Asia Specific here 👉🏽    • Asia Specific   Instagram: @bbcworldservice Email: [email protected] Presenter: Mariko Oi Producers: Derek Cai, Rachel Lee Camera: Rosalehin Bin Rosli, Khairul Danish Bin Mohd Roslee, Aimran Supardi, Syaik Muhammad Sidik Editor: Bill Birtles ---------------- This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel. If you like what we do, you can also find us here: Instagram 👉🏽   / bbcworldservice   Twitter 👉🏽   / bbcworldservice   Facebook 👉🏽   / bbcworldservice   BBC World Service website 👉🏽 https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio Thanks for watching and subscribing! #BBCWorldService #WorldService #asiaspecific #asiaspecificpodcast #Australia #PaulineHanson #Immigration

SSI Critical Conversations (Episode 1): The politics of fear and migration
▶︎

SSI Critical Conversations (Episode 1): The politics of fear and migration

Yuval Noah Harari on Donald Trump’s Core Delusion | The Ezra Klein Show
▶︎

Yuval Noah Harari on Donald Trump’s Core Delusion | The Ezra Klein Show

Why cancer patients are flying to China for treatment - Asia Specific podcast, BBC World Service
▶︎

Why cancer patients are flying to China for treatment - Asia Specific podcast, BBC World Service

Bloomberg Surveillance 6/30/2026
▶︎

Bloomberg Surveillance 6/30/2026

Category creation is hard: building Hairstory into retail from zero
▶︎

Category creation is hard: building Hairstory into retail from zero

I Investigated The World's Skinniest vs Fattest City
▶︎

I Investigated The World's Skinniest vs Fattest City

One Nation lays out vision for a 'monocultural' Australia | 7.30
▶︎

One Nation lays out vision for a 'monocultural' Australia | 7.30

How to facilitate problem solving workshops (rectangles.fm collab)
▶︎

How to facilitate problem solving workshops (rectangles.fm collab)

Bloomberg Surveillance 6/26/2026
▶︎

Bloomberg Surveillance 6/26/2026

Our Man in Moscow: Inside Putin's Russia | BBC Panorama
▶︎

Our Man in Moscow: Inside Putin's Russia | BBC Panorama

Has Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs helped US trade? - Asia Specific podcast, BBC World Service
▶︎

Has Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs helped US trade? - Asia Specific podcast, BBC World Service

PLO Lumumba: Why Iran Is Winning the War Against Israel & the USA | Oil, China & Dollar Explained
▶︎

PLO Lumumba: Why Iran Is Winning the War Against Israel & the USA | Oil, China & Dollar Explained

“I Splurge What’s Left”: Why India’s Youth Are Choosing Debt Over Savings | Insight
▶︎

“I Splurge What’s Left”: Why India’s Youth Are Choosing Debt Over Savings | Insight

Could Ukraine REALLY take Crimea back from Putin?
▶︎

Could Ukraine REALLY take Crimea back from Putin?

Ian Bremmer on the Risks America Poses to the World | The Ezra Klein Show
▶︎

Ian Bremmer on the Risks America Poses to the World | The Ezra Klein Show

More teams, higher prices: Why do we still love the World Cup?
▶︎

More teams, higher prices: Why do we still love the World Cup?

Meet the Former CIA Agent Who Wants to Abolish the CIA
▶︎

Meet the Former CIA Agent Who Wants to Abolish the CIA

Is AI stealing your water and power? | That's Business with Alan Kohler
▶︎

Is AI stealing your water and power? | That's Business with Alan Kohler

'I Warn You - Don't Provoke Russia': Jeffrey Sachs ROARS At EU & US In European Parliament | VIRAL
▶︎

'I Warn You - Don't Provoke Russia': Jeffrey Sachs ROARS At EU & US In European Parliament | VIRAL

What are some of the key issues facing Australia? - World Questions podcast, BBC World Service
▶︎

What are some of the key issues facing Australia? - World Questions podcast, BBC World Service