New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has called One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s framing of multiculturalism “garbage,” while acknowledged the impacts of the migration influx on Australia’s infrastructure.
Minns said debate over immigration was valid, but said One Nation’s framing of multiculturalism as a cultural threat is taking it “a step too far.”
“I’ve grown up in multicultural Sydney, I’m raising my family in Sydney and it’s the best country and the best city in the world,” he said.
“So I think (when) you’ve travelled around the world and you’ve seen what every country and state and city and territory has to offer, nothing beats Sydney and part and parcel of its characteristics is that people come from all around the world—different religions, different races, and we don’t just tolerate each other, we often celebrate it and we live side-by-side.
“I think that there’s just so much hyperbole from Senator Hanson.”
“I saw her on radio the other day saying we don’t want sharia law, we don’t want multiple marriages, we don’t want gangs with machetes—as if, if you support multiculturalism you must be for sharia law, well that’s just complete garbage ... it’s just not true,” he told ABC Radio National.
“It’s taken over governments in Argentina, Brazil, Hungary, Italy, potentially the UK, certainly the U.S. and the idea that it can be ignored is just not viable.
“We really do have to get into the proverbial ring and explain what we like and what is important about the liberal democracies ... also the things that need to change.”
Minns pointed to the record-high migration in Australia that saw 518,000 new migrants arrive from 2022–23.
“They’ve got concerns about the number of people that came in, literally just the quantum ... in the immediate aftermath of COVID I think we were hitting half a million. It was very difficult for services and infrastructure and housing to keep up with that rate and that pace,” he said.
He said those concerns needed to be debated, but should not be used to argue for cultural exclusion.
“My sense is that while some people have a view about the rate of immigration, for Pauline Hanson to jump over that and say it’s a question of Australian monoculture where we hive off other aspects of the characteristics of Australia is a step too far for a lot of people,” he said.
“I can understand legitimate concerns about the immigration rate, but to throw out some of the successful characteristics of modern Australia, would be a huge mistake.”
He said polling in November 2025 found little support for the conservative-leaning party in South Australia before the massacre, but momentum shifted in the months after.
Most Want Monoculture: Hanson
Hanson has stood by her comments from her recent address at the National Press Club, saying they reflect the majority of Australians.“We must never be afraid to challenge long-held assumptions. I’ve been doing it for 30 years and I’m still here doing it.
“A poll of more than 11,000 people showed 66 precent want Australia to be monocultural—only 21 percent want multiculturalism.”
Hanson said a monocultural Australia was not exclusive, but “welcoming.”
“It’s an umbrella which covers all manner of difference. It’s not a dirty word. If we’re going to accept you, you must accept us too. That’s the bare minimum,” she said.
“Under a One Nation government the burqa will be banned and we’ll draw the line on anything incompatible with Australian culture.
“You can bring your Greek salad, your Italian pasta, your Chinese stir-fry, your Indian curry, and your Argentinian barbeque. Just remember this—vegemite is the glue that holds it all together.”
