Sam Newman Backs Pauline Hanson Amid Outrage Over Indigenous Remarks

Former AFL star Sam Newman has defended Pauline Hanson after the One Nation senator described Indigenous Australians as “the most primitive race on Earth” in a resurfaced interview.

Hanson made the remarks during an appearance on the Jamie J Podcast last year, which was co-hosted by former Liberal candidate and News24 presenter Jaimee Rodgers.

While recalling a conversation with a teacher from Western Australia, Hanson argued that schools placed too much emphasis on Indigenous studies.

She then broadened her criticism, claiming Indigenous Australians had made little contribution to the country despite having lived on the continent for 60,000 years, before saying: “They’re the most primitive race on Earth.”

After the footage resurfaced this week, Hanson issued a qualified apology on Tuesday, saying: “If I offended people by using that term, ‘primitive’, yes, I will apologise for that.”

However, Newman described Hanson’s comments as “extremely fair” during a discussion on his You Cannot Be Serious podcast with Melbourne Underground Film Festival director Richard Wolstencroft.

When Wolstencroft brought up the controversy, Newman endorsed Hanson’s position, saying: “Extremely fair about the Indigenous people being primitive.”

“Well, how could you possibly not say that?” the former AFL star added.

The conversation then shifted from Hanson’s comments to Newman’s own views.

“It’s not necessarily decrying or degrading or defiling Aboriginals, but like a lot of white people, they are basically a lazy and idle race,” he said.

Newman acknowledged that the remark would be interpreted as him labelling Aboriginal people lazy and idle.

“So are plenty of white people and there’s plenty of success stories in the Aboriginal community and good on them,” he added.

He further claimed there was “not one tangible thing” remaining from 60,000 years of Aboriginal culture and argued that Indigenous Australians had not made a structural contribution to building the nation.

That claim overlooks documented Indigenous engineering. For example, UNESCO’s World Heritage listing for the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape describes Gunditjmara channels, weirs and dams developed over at least 6,600 years to trap, store and harvest eels.

Newman also criticised Welcome to Country ceremonies, including the one held before the NFL game at the MCG.

‘It is just showboating,’ he said. ‘It is absolutely gratuitous nonsense.’

Later, he urged people to withhold applause at sporting events.

‘Don’t boo as I suggested and don’t necessarily turn your back on it. Just don’t applaud,’ he said.

Newman also explicitly declared his political support for the One Nation leader during the episode, saying: ‘Well, I’m a Hanson supporter.’

The defence of Hanson comes amid criticism of her original remarks from Labor, Liberal and crossbench figures.

In the resurfaced interview, Hanson questioned the value of teaching Aboriginal culture and language, claiming Indigenous Australians had ‘achieved nothing’.

On Tuesday, she said hurting people had not been her intention and acknowledged she was ‘not the most eloquent speaker’.

Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, whom Newman praised as a ‘fine person’ during his podcast, was among those who condemned Hanson’s remarks.

‘She did absolutely demonstrate wilful ignorance because there’s a hell of a lot more to Australia’s first people than simply what her remarks suggest,’ Price said.

‘I don’t care what excuses are being made. It was her tone and inflection throughout those remarks.’

Indigenous Affairs Minister Malarndirri McCarthy also rejected Hanson’s comments.

‘Those comments were completely baseless. They harm. They dehumanise First Nations people in Australia,’ she said.

– READ MORE: Bombshell as Pauline Hanson makes stunning apology to arch-rival Anthony Albanese

– READ MORE: Video emerges of Pauline Hanson labelling Aboriginal people ‘the most primitive race on earth’