WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2026
hate MP WARNS OF LIBS - Racism, in Waverley ONE NATION DEAL
● Pauline Hanson
■ Box Hill MLA Paul Hamer has warned against a possible Liberals-One Nation combination at the State Election. Asking a question about multicultural communities in the Box Hill electorate, Mr Hamer said it was almost 30 years ago that Pauline Hanson delivered her inaugural speech. “In that speech she stated, ‘We are in danger of being swamped by Asians,’ and ever since then Pauline Hanson and her One Nation party have demonised migrant communities, who have worked hard to build lives for themselves in Australia, and questioned their loyalty to our country. “Prior to the 1996 federal election the federal Liberal Party disendorsed Pauline Hanson because they understood that her message of hate and division had no place in Parliament or in our public discourse. “At the time, coalition members such as the late Petro Georgiou and the late Senator Ron Boswell took a strong and principled stance against One Nation and its legitimisation through preference swaps. I wish I could say the same thing about the modern Liberal Party today. Not only has the Liberal Party refused to rule out the possibility of doing a preference deal,” Mr Hamer said.
KEW SQUATTERS: COPS OUT OF OPTIONS LOCALS FEAR FOR SAFETY
2M, 3M, 4M BIN HIRE
0418 101 004
■ The daily lives of Kew residents and their children are being significantly impacted by the occupation of a dwelling without the owner’s consent on their residential street in Kew. “The owner of the relevant property has been tied up with VCAT for months, with no clear pathway to rectify this untenable situation,” said Kew MLA Jess Wilson. “The behaviour of the occupants, who remain living in the premises despite having accrued tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid rent, is having a significant impact on the other people living in this street, who fear for their safety. “Residents have repeatedly sought the assistance of police, who informed them that there are no options available to our police officers. “Can the minister please provide an overview of the options available to remedy this situation so residents can live without fear in their own homes? “What are the options available to the residents in this particular part of Kew,” Ms Wilson asked.
● Jess Wilson MLA. Photo: ABC
● John Mullahy MLA
■ Glen Waverley MLA John Mullahy says there has been a rise of hate and division in communities like Glen Waverley. He says people need to feel safe and respected and that they belong. “In Glen Waverley we are a community built on families from all over the world – families who came here for opportunity, who work hard, raise their kids and build a life in our schools, our businesses and our workplaces,” Mr Mullahy said. “That diversity is our story. It is our strength, and I will always stand up for it. But right now families in my community are telling me something is not right.
Anti-immigration
“Following the anti-immigration rallies we saw last year, I heard from many parents in my community that were worried about their children travelling to the city. “We have seen anti-Chinese signs appear in our neighbourhoods, with consequences of children being racially abused on buses and at school. “If you are a parent, that cuts deep, because it does not stop at the school gate. “It comes home; it stays with you. It is what hate does, and that is not who we are, because in Glen Waverley the Chinese Australian families working hard for their kids, that is us. “The Indian Australian small business owner, that is us. The Sri Lankan, Tamil, Pakistani, Malaysian, Korean and Vietnamese families building a future, that is us. They are not separate from our community; they are our community. “To every family in Glen Waverley, to every parent, to every student, to every volunteer, I say: you should never feel like you have to hide who you are.”