Pauline Hanson’s handiwork has really hit the fan, but is there more to her than meets the eye?

Before we get stuck into old mate Pauline, it’s important to say, yes, we know that all she wanted out of this stunt was attention, which is exactly what the media has gotten her. So when the day comes that the media unanimously decides to omit her from their headlines, LOTL will follow suit, however for the time being, it’s important for us to be engaged in the happenings of the leaders of our country and talk about what this all means.

There are certain people in the LOTL office who admire Hanson’s guts, and I suppose, when we distance ourselves from the xenophobic politician, Pauline is a powerhouse of a woman who, and I quote, “keeps the boys in line.” Which, I have to admit, is true.

It almost causes me physical pain to imagine the work she could do if her heart wasn’t marred by bigotry.

Pauline’s latest stunt, if you haven’t heard, was to enter the senate wearing a burqa, which she dramatically ripped off to challenge Attorney General George Brandis about prohibiting hijabs and other coverings in areas which require identification of a person.

Hanson drops the burqa before posing her question to brandis. via aap

George Brandis, in no uncertain terms, went off at her, and received a standing ovation from much of the senate.

What Hanson apparently didn’t consider, is that her stunt effectively disproved her point.

She was able to safely enter the senate through security checkpoints, AND participate in politics whilst, shockingly, wearing religious attire. Essentially, she proved that a person’s clothing does not obstruct their ability to contribute to the democratic process.

sometimes pauls is a real head-scratcher. via aap

Though her attitude to racial and religious groups outside of her own creates a caricature of prejudice, in the same sex marriage debate, given her usual standard for social progress, Pauline isn’t faring too badly.

Steeling myself, I visited the One Nation policy page on ‘Families and Pensioners,’ and was surprised by this quote, their opening sentence:

Ignoring the attempt to downplay the strength of the Yes campaign, One Nation have effectively stated that the outcome of marriage equality is happiness. No Evil Gay Agenda, no corruption of children, no epidemic of political correctness. Just happiness.

Additionally, Pauline has publicly stated that, upon the return of a Yes verdict in the postal vote, she will support amending the constitution to include marriage equality.

“I would support that because people have had their say. I’d give it my total support because I’m there as the people’s representative. I believe we’ve got to start listening to the majority and not the minority.”

So, there you have it, folks. Pauline’s apparent secret empathy swith is hidden in preponderance. So if she’s only going to listen to the majority, then we need to push to make minority issues a majority concern. And if that doesn’t motivate you to get out there and campaign even louder for our equality, and for the respect and safety of our Islamic neighbours, I don’t know what will.  If we can get Pauline Hanson to support marriage equality, we can do anything.