Pauline who?
Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe delivered the perfect comeback on Wednesday after Senator Pauline Hanson of the One Nation party personally attacked her in Parliament.
After Hanson delivered a frantic speech to the chamber declaring that people on welfare have “lost their rights” to decide what to do with their money, Thorpe had a simple yet brilliant rebuttal.
“Ah, what’s, sorry, what’s your name?” she asked, forcing the Senate to interject and formally identify Hanson.
The dig recalled the heavy heaping of shade Mariah Carey delivered to Jennifer Lopez in the early 2000s, saying “I don’t know her” when red carpet reporters asked Carey about her pop rival.
The comment sparked a decade-long feud between the divas and birthed a famous meme and perhaps one of the best put-downs (or comebacks) of our time.
Thorpe’s Mariah Carey-esque snap came after Hanson demonised people using the Cashless Debit Card, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander recipients.
Welfare recipients get 80% of their payments on the card, which is on trial in some communities and can only be used at approved retailers. The Morrison government claims this will stop people from purchasing alcohol and cigarettes with their benefit money.
“When you go onto this card, you basically lose your rights as well,” Hanson said, adding that “If you go on a welfare system, you’ve lost your rights.”
Twitter users criticised her speech as racist.
Thorpe, who was the first Aboriginal woman in Victorian Parliament and has described the card as racist, also endured a personal attack from Hanson about her “white father”.
“Senator Thorpe talks about her land. What about the white part? Where’s her white father in all of this?” Hanson asked of her colleague, then added: “Who I should say is a member of the One Nation party.”
Deputy President of the Senate Sue Lines was forced to step in and demand Hanson retract her comments.
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