Pauline Hanson Called for a Cadbury Boycott and Everyone Got Super Protective of Their Easter Eggs

The One Nation leader doesn’t want people to buy halal-certified Easter eggs.

If you were planning on buying Senator Pauline Hanson a Cadbury egg this Easter, don’t.

The controversial politician posted a video on her Facebook page earlier this week calling on Australians to boycott halal-certified Easter eggs, such as those produced by Cadbury.

Yes, that includes Cadbury Crème Eggs. And Marvellous Creations Bunnies. And Dairy Milk Oreo Eggs.

She said halal certification was "one of the biggest complaints" she'd had since being elected.

Instead, Hanson encouraged her supporters to buy their chocolate from Darrell Lea and Lindt, which are non-halal-certified.

Now, here are the guidelines for ‘halal certification' from the Australian Food & Grocery Council:

• [The food or beverage must be] free from any substance taken or extracted from a haram animal or ingredient (e.g. pigs, dogs, carnivorous animals, animals not slaughtered in compliance with Islamic rites);
• made, processed, manufactured and/or stored by using utensils, equipment and/or machinery that has been cleaned according to Islamic law (e.g. not cleaned with alcohol);
• and free from contact with, or being close to, a haram substance during preparation, manufacture, processing and storage (e.g. blood, alcohol, poisonous and intoxicating plants and certain insects such as worms and cockroaches).

But here’s the kicker: “Many foods and drinks, particularly those that do not contain meat or alcohol, are inherently halal.”

The Project host Waleed Aly demonstrated this by chomping on a Lindt bunny, in defiance of Hanson, on Tuesday.

“I eat these all the time. These are awesome,” he explained, before adding: “That’s entirely Halal. It’s all vegetarian.”

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews also criticised Hanson’s stance, saying, “One thing I've noticed about Pauline Hanson is that she seems to hate other religions more than she loves her own country.”

 

Federal Labor MP Tony Burke piled on too, asking Hanson to “please explain” her logic that non-halal Easter bunnies aren’t also "an attack on the true Christian meaning of Easter?”

 

Liberal MP Tim Wilson was more concise, telling Sky News, "Pauline Hanson is talking complete BS."

John Short, Tasmanian branch secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Worker’s Union, told the ABC that Hanson’s claims could hurt Australian workers, particularly the 400 – 500 Cadbury employees in Tassie.

"We want to make sure that people buy that product because it is Australian-made by Australians,” he said.

And then, there was Twitter. Here are the angry responses that are fit to reprint.

Eating a #Cadbury Easter egg.

Mostly because Pauline Hanson said not to, but also because it's made of chocolate.

— Captain Turtle (@Captainturtle) April 12, 2017

Thanks 2 @Pauline Hanson I'm making a point 2 buy ONLY @CadburyAU chocolate this Easter. NO place for her hate & intolerance in Australia 😡

— Larissenach (@larissenach) April 11, 2017

Nobody gets my blood pumping like Pauline Hanson does. Better cancel that gym membership, I'm only buying Halal chocolates this Easter.

— Chelsea Russ (@ChelseaaRenae) April 12, 2017

Now Pauline Hanson is telling the good people of Australia which Easter eggs to eat? Nothing is sacred to this woman! 🤣

— 🐣 Patricia 🙏 (@patriciaofoz) April 11, 2017

According to Pauline Hanson Halal Easter eggs are ruining Christian tradition.
But Easter eggs are a pagan tradition? 🤔

— Sandhya (@SandhyaNTweets) April 11, 2017

Today, Cadbury updated their Facebook page, not in response to Senator Hanson, but to another roiling controversy, following rumours they had scrapped the word “Easter” from their advertising. This was not the case.

Photo: Facebook (Pauline Hanson's Please Explain)