Pauline Hanson’s $2million legal bill after ‘go back to Pakistan’ comment: ‘Not happy’
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has reportedly been landed with a legal bill of around $2 million following her long-running court battle with Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi over a "go back to Pakistan" comment. The remark, made after Faruqi criticised the British monarchy following the Queen's death, was found by the Federal Court to have breached the Racial Discrimination Act, and Hanson has voiced her frustration at the scale of the costs now facing her.
The case centred on a 2022 social media exchange in which Hanson told Faruqi, a Pakistan-born senator, to "piss off back to Pakistan," prompting Faruqi to pursue legal action. Courts subsequently ruled against Hanson, and the substantial legal costs reported are said to reflect the drawn-out nature of the proceedings. Hanson has expressed that she is "not happy" with the outcome and the financial burden it has placed on her.
In short
- Pauline Hanson faces a reported $2million legal bill
- Stems from her "go back to Pakistan" remark to Senator Faruqi
- Federal Court found the comment breached racial discrimination law
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Whilst the remark was undoubtedly offensive, critics argue that substantial legal costs disproportionately burden political speech and risk weaponising discrimination law against political opponents. They contend that distinguishing between genuinely harmful hate speech and crude political rhetoric is important for maintaining robust democratic debate, and that legal consequences should be proportionate to actual harm rather than serving as a punitive chilling effect on forthright political expression.
The case against
Supporters of the legal action argue that racial vilification—telling someone to 'go back' to their country based on ethnicity—is precisely what anti-discrimination law exists to prevent. They maintain that the rule of law must apply equally to all citizens, including politicians, and that substantial costs serve a legitimate deterrent function ensuring that public figures cannot use their platform to subject others to racial abuse without meaningful consequences.
Explained simply
Pauline Hanson leads One Nation, an Australian political party, whilst Mehreen Faruqi is a Senator with the Australian Greens. Faruqi was born in Pakistan before moving to Australia, and Hanson has been a prominent figure in Australian politics known for her positions on immigration and national identity.
The dispute began in 2022 when Faruqi criticised Britain's monarchy following Queen Elizabeth II's death, prompting Hanson to respond on social media telling her to "go back to Pakistan." Faruqi pursued legal action under Australia's Racial Discrimination Act, and a Federal Court found Hanson's comment breached the legislation.
The case is significant because it tested how Australia's racial discrimination laws apply to political speech and social media exchanges. The outcome established that such comments can be found unlawful regardless of the political context in which they were made.