Here’s Why Pauline Hanson’s Hot Take on Uluru Is So Wrong

Let’s unpack what Pauline Hanson has had enough of this time…

They say some people have a way with words. Pauline Hanson certainly has a way of upsetting people with hers.

This time, the notoriously controversial leader of the One Nation Party has sparked outrage after weighing in on the Uluru climbing ban.

Deeming the decision to keep tourists from climbing Uluru "ridiculous", Senator Hanson compared banning climbers from Uluru to shutting down Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach. Cue facepalm.

So, why have climbers been banned from Uluru, and why did Senator Hanson’s comments get everyone all fired up? Let’s unpack it, with some good ol’ gifs and tweets along the way.

Why the climbing ban?

The decision to ban tourists from climbing Uluru was made back in 2017. In a unanimous decision, the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park board decided to ban climbers beginning October 2019.

Consisting of eight traditional owners and three representatives from National Parks, the board found that the Anangu community (the traditional owners of Uluru-Kata Tjuta and the surrounding land) was supportive of the climbing ban.

Their support derives from the deep cultural significance surrounding Uluru. As reported by the ABC, senior traditional owner and chairman of the park board Sammy Wilson said in a written speech at the closure announcement, "It is an extremely important place, not a playground or theme park like Disneyland."

Being a sacred men’s site, the traditional owners have also felt culturally responsible for the deaths and injuries associated with climbing Uluru, with 37 confirmed deaths since the 1950s.

Considering the closure is just around the corner, hordes of tourists descended on Uluru to climb it before the ban is enforced, kind of missing the whole point of it being banned and all…

So, why is Pauline Hanson’s comment controversial?

Appearing on The Today Show, Senator Hanson challenged the decision in typical Hanson fashion.

"The fact is, it’s money-making. It’s giving jobs to the Indigenous community, you’ve got over four-to-five hundred thousand tourists a year that want to go there and climb the rock," she said.

"It’s no different to saying we’re going to close down Bondi Beach because there are some people there that have drowned. How ridiculous is that! This is an iconic site for all Australians."

She added, "I can’t see the cultural sensitivity when people have been climbing the rock all these years and all of a sudden they want to shut it down? I don’t get it, I really don’t get it."

Her comments set social media ablaze, with users slamming her remarks and labelling them as culturally insensitive.

Hello media,

Please stop asking Pauline Hanson for her opinions on things she knows nothing about.

Thanks
Australians. Quiet or otherwise.

— Now What 🤷🏼‍♀️ (@toninicho) July 15, 2019

But now everyone is attacking… The Today Show?  

Not only are viewers slamming Senator Hanson’s comments, they are questioning why she was even being interviewed in the first place.

Viewers have taken to social media to express their anger over Today’s failure to balance out the panel with Indigenous representation.

Today tried to rectify the problem by inviting Indigenous senator Malarndirri McCarthy on to provide an informed perspective on the issue, which she handled with a whole lot of class.

She told Today, "It is clearly important that [Hanson] comes to Uluru and has an opportunity to see for herself the work that has been going up here – it hasn’t just happened overnight."

Later, Senator McCarthy tweeted that she would be happy to facilitate Senator Hanson’s visit to Uluru to meet with the traditional owners and get informed.

I say to Senator Hanson, I am very happy to facilitate her visit to #Uluru to meet with the Traditional Owners and listen for herself and get informed before she rattles off with misinformation, when this has been a very methodical and thoughtful process for nearly a decade.

— malarndirri mccarthy (@Malarndirri19) July 15, 2019

Senator Hanson did tell Today, "I just don’t get it." Maybe this is her chance.

Header Image: iStock.com/davidf