‘Pathetic, gutless’: Pauline Hanson unloads on Anthony Albanese

Pauline Hanson has slammed Anthony Albanese and his Immigration Minister Andrew Giles as a “pair of bozos” who “lied” to the Australian public over the unfolding immigration detainee chaos.

The One Nation leader has accused the Albanese government of creating a “hell of a mess” with Australia’s immigration policy.

Describing the Mr Albanese as the “most pathetic, gutless Prime Minister I have ever known”, Ms Hanson said she “cringed” at his leadership.

“He’s a gutless wonder. He shows no compassion for what’s happening in this country. He was pathetic to listen to,” she said.

“I’m so angry with him in the leadership role of this nation that I cringe when I see him. I cringe when I hear their policies,” she said.

It follows last year’s High Court ruling that the use of indefinite detention was unlawful and unconstitutional, where there was no real prospect that a person’s removal from Australia would be practicable in the foreseeable future.

In the wake of that decision, 153 detainees including multiple sex offenders were released from immigration detention as part of the NZYQ High Court ruling.

Seven have previously been convicted of murder or attempted murder.

It has now emerged that at least two murderers or attempted murderers and 26 sex offenders released from immigration detention are not required to wear an electronic ankle monitor or observe a curfew.

Australian Border Force commissioner Michael Outram defended those decisions, telling parliament this week there was a “big difference between some murders and other murders”.

In response, Liberal frontbencher James Paterson responded that “a murder is a murder” and asked why at least two murderers did not have ankle bracelets.

“They have no regard for the Australian people and their safety,” Ms Hanson told Sky News.

“They have no regard for the security of this nation because they put out a clear message to the people smugglers. We’re in a hell of a mess.”

Mr Albanese announced in Question Time on Wednesday that he would revise Directive 99, that changes to the rules to make “ties to Australia” a primary consideration during visa determinations.

It has now emerged that the ministerial directive allowed a Sudanese man known as RCWV, who self-identifies as Aboriginal, to ask the Administrative Appeals Tribunal to repeal a decision to cancel his visa after he had committed a string of serious criminal offences.

“We’ve seen that we’re not seeing the common sense approach that Australians should expect, nor are we seeing the focus on community safety,” Mr Giles said.

“But as the Prime Minister also made clear in Question Time, there were very many issues that clearly related to the application of the former directions issued under ministers in the former government, including, of course, Peter Dutton when he was the Minister of State.

“The new revised direction will make it abundantly clear that community safety is a consideration that outweighs all other considerations … Making sure that that is effective is obviously something that I’m approaching with a laser-like focus.”

Ms Hanson said Mr Albanese should dump Mr Giles from the portfolio.

“He has to go. Everyone keeps calling for it, but Albanese is protecting him, so it’s his mate. He’s protecting him because they think alike,” she said.

“And that’s what tells me that they both think alike. Albanese won’t get rid of Giles because Giles is thinking exactly the same way as Albanese.”