One Nation’s Bernardi Uses Maiden Speech to Criticise Communism, Socialism, and Gender Affirming Care

Greens MPs walked out of the chamber during the address in protest.

Then-Liberal Party Senator Cory Bernardi speaks during the debate of the marriage equality bill in the Senate at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on Nov. 29, 2017. Michael Masters/Getty Images

One Nation South Australian leader Cory Bernardi has used his maiden speech to criticise communism, socialism, and gender affirming care for children.

Bernardi declared himself strongly opposed to communism in all its forms.

“May I share with you, Mr President, that I am so opposed to old-school communism, or whatever they want to call it these days—socialism or intergenerational equity or net zero or saving the planet—whatever it is, that I will not even smoke Cuban cigars,” he told the chamber.

The former federal senator warned that Australia had become “fractured” and “debt ridden,” with the middle class hollowed out by what he described “the creeping hand of socialism.”

“Fostering envy, fuelling resentment and social decay,” he said.

He said One Nation had achieved its strongest result in South Australia at the March 2026 state election, winning seven seats, including four in the lower house and three in the upper house. However, Labor won the election in a landslide.

COVID Lockdown Criticism

Bernardi criticised government overreach during the COVID-19 pandemic, including lockdowns and vaccination mandates.

“They locked us down. They silenced dissent. They imprisoned citizens and they forced people to take dangerous and experimental injections,” he said.

“We were told the jabs were safe and effective. We now know there was no science being followed. The slogans were pure political propaganda.”

Gender Affirming Care ‘Sheer Madness’: Bernardi

He also criticised gender affirming care for minors and described it as “sheer madness.”

“The media is silent while the government allows doctors to mutilate children in the name of gender affirming care,” Bernardi said.

Bernardi said adults should be free to make decisions about their own bodies, but argued biological sex was fixed.

“No matter what legislation governments introduce, biology rules and men can never be women or vice versa,” he said.

He also said governments were increasingly viewed as the “enemy of the people” rather than an ally, and accused political leaders of suppressing dissenting views.

“The inconvenient truth is deemed to be hate speech by too many in our governing class,” he said.

“A government that legislates against free speech is a threat to our innate freedoms.

“Freedom of speech is the cornerstone on which our democracy should be built.”

Bernardi also paid tribute to his wife, Sinead, noting 30 years of marriage.

“While many may consider material possessions to be a measure of success, for me real wealth is the unconditional love we share as a family,” he said.

Greens Walk Out

Greens members of the Legislative Council Robert Simms and Melanie Selwood left the chamber during the speech in protest.

Ahead of the election, Simms described One Nation as representing “hatred and division.”

“What kind of extreme agenda will they seek to impose on the people of South Australia if they win seats in state parliament?” he said in an Instagram post.

Selwood also accused One Nation of “divisive politics” ahead of the election.

“One Nation would rather draw us into culture wars that divide us instead of solving our real problems,” she said.

South Australian Liberal Senator Alex Antic and United Australia Party Senator Ralph Babet were among those present during the speech.

“The Greens walked out of Cory Bernardi’s first speech in the South Australian parliament because he said that children should be protected from radical gender surgery,” Babet posted to X.

Bernardi said the Greens storming out of his maiden speech was a “compliment.”

“I must have been saying something right,” he said.