Tertius News is an AI-native newsroom: an AI model reads the linked source articles below and extracts what each outlet reported, so you can compare their coverage side by side. How this works →

Barnaby Joyce says One Nation doesn’t want return of White Australia policy but backs Pauline Hanson on mass deportations

Barnaby Joyce has distanced One Nation from the White Australia policy while defending Pauline Hanson's call for mass deportations of visa overstayers. The controversy follows Hanson's podcast with Tommy Robinson and her meeting with UK politician Rupert Lowe, drawing criticism from Labor figures.

By Tertius News AI Desk 2 outlets · 2 articles Version 1 Coverage Jul 19–20, 2026 Published Aug 14

Lead

Barnaby Joyce has insisted his party does not support the White Australia policy, even as Pauline Hanson faces backlash over comments blaming its abolition for Australia's migration issues and her endorsement of mass deportations.

Speaking to Channel Seven, Joyce said the end of the White Australia policy was a "very good thing" — a direct response to remarks made by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson in a podcast with UK far-right activist Tommy Robinson. Hanson told Robinson that after the policy ended, Australia began "bringing in the different migrants."

Coverage Comparison

Joyce's comments came as he defended Hanson's support for mass deportations, a position she voiced on Channel Seven's Spotlight program. When asked whether she thought mass deportations were a good idea, Hanson replied: "I love the idea," according to The Guardian. She later clarified she was referring to illegal immigrants, as reported by ABC Australia.

The Guardian also reported that One Nation's website calls for the deportation of "75,000 illegal migrants." Hanson's meeting with Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe, where she received a party pamphlet titled "mass deportations," was also highlighted.

ABC Australia noted that Hanson did not regret speaking to Robinson, who it described as a UK far-right activist and convicted criminal. The broadcaster also reported that Tanya Plibersek, a Labor MP, compared Hanson to a toddler following the interview.

Key Claims

Barnaby Joyce says One Nation does not support the White Australia policy, calling its abolition "a very good thing."
Pauline Hanson blamed the end of the White Australia policy for Australia's migration issues in a podcast with Tommy Robinson.
Hanson told Channel Seven she "loved" the idea of mass deportations, later clarifying she meant deporting those who overstay their visas.
One Nation's website says the party wants to "deport 75,000 illegal migrants."
Hanson met Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe during her Europe trip and received a party pamphlet titled "mass deportations."
Labor's Tanya Plibersek compared Hanson to a "toddler" following her Seven appearance, saying the One Nation leader is "a walking headline" whose "politics of grievance doesn't deliver anything meaningful to people."
Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain said Hanson's comments were "another opportunity to say things that she knows will get reported in the media," and that such politics will not "deliver anything for Australians."

Key Claims

Joyce's defense of Hanson's deportation stance centered on the practical enforcement of immigration law. Appearing on Sunrise, he said that when people overstay their visas, "as it becomes apparent that they're not supposed to be here, they'll be put on a plane and sent back to where they're supposed to be." He did not repeat the term "mass deportations" but said people should be "removed from the country" if they overstay.

One Nation's website says the party wants to "deport 75,000 illegal migrants." Hanson, during her meeting with Rupert Lowe, leader of the hard-right UK party Restore Britain, received a party pamphlet titled "mass deportations" and told him they were "on the same page." On Spotlight, when asked if mass deportations were a good idea, she replied "I love it," later clarifying she meant only illegal immigrants.

Hanson also faced criticism for appearing on Robinson's podcast also featuring convicted criminal. Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain told Channel Nine that Hanson's interview was "another opportunity to say things she knows will get media attention." Labor's Tanya Plibersek compared Hanson to a toddler in response to the interview.

Key Claims

White Australia policy: Joyce said his party does not support the White Australia policy, calling its end "a very good thing."
Hanson's comments: Hanson blamed the end of the White Australia policy for migration issues, saying "they opened up and got rid of the White Australian policy then they started bringing in the different migrants."
Mass deportations: Hanson said she "loved" the idea of mass deportations, later clarifying she meant deporting illegal immigrants; One Nation's website says the party wants to "deport 75,000 illegal migrants."
Meeting with UK politician: Hanson met with Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe, who gave her a pamphlet titled "mass deportations."
Joyce's stance: Joyce said people overstaying visas should be "put on a plane and sent back to where they're supposed to be."
Criticism from Labor: McBain said Hanson's comments are "politics of grievance" that won't deliver for Australians; Plibersek likened Hanson to a toddler.

How each outlet told it

ABC Australia as of Jul 19, 2026, 9:46 PM UTC

Framing: Criticism of Pauline Hanson's comments on White Australia policy and mass deportation — Critical

Facts Included:

Barnaby Joyce says his party doesn't support the White Australia policy
Pauline Hanson blamed the end of the White Australia policy for Australia's migration issues
Hanson backed a policy of mass deportation, saying she loved the idea, but later clarified she was talking about illegal immigrants
Tanya Plibersek compared Pauline Hanson to a toddler following the Seven interview

Read the source article →

The Guardian — World as of Jul 20, 2026, 3:46 AM UTC

Framing: Barnaby Joyce defends Pauline Hanson's comments on White Australia policy and mass deportation — Neutral/Critical

Facts Included:

Barnaby Joyce says Pauline Hanson does not support the White Australia policy
Hanson backed 'mass deportations' of those overstaying their visas
One Nation's website says the party wants to 'deport 75,000 illegal migrants'
Hanson met Rupert Lowe, the leader of the hard-right party Restore Britain, and received a party pamphlet titled 'mass deportations'

Read the source article →

What was claimed, and who backed it

Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.

Claim	Confidence	Status
ClaimBarnaby Joyce says his party doesn't support the White Australia policy.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source quoted from ABC Australia as of Jul 19, 2026, 9:46 PM UTC the outlets behind this status were not recorded for this claim
ClaimPauline Hanson blamed the end of the White Australia policy for Australia's migration issues.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source quoted from ABC Australia as of Jul 19, 2026, 9:46 PM UTC the outlets behind this status were not recorded for this claim
ClaimPauline Hanson backed a policy of mass deportation, saying she loved the idea, but later clarified she was talking about illegal immigrants.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source quoted from ABC Australia as of Jul 19, 2026, 9:46 PM UTC the outlets behind this status were not recorded for this claim
ClaimTanya Plibersek compared Pauline Hanson to a toddler following the Seven interview.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source quoted from ABC Australia as of Jul 19, 2026, 9:46 PM UTC the outlets behind this status were not recorded for this claim
ClaimOne Nation's website says the party wants to 'deport 75,000 illegal migrants'.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Guardian — World as of Jul 20, 2026, 3:46 AM UTC
ClaimHanson met Rupert Lowe, the leader of the hard-right party Restore Britain, and received a party pamphlet titled 'mass deportations'.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Guardian — World as of Jul 20, 2026, 3:46 AM UTC
ClaimOne Nation has improved its polling position and now sits equal with Labor on primary vote in the latest Newspoll.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Guardian — World as of Jul 20, 2026, 3:46 AM UTC

Transparency & Audit Trail

2 outlets · 2 articles consulted: ABC Australia, The Guardian — World 7 claims extracted Version 1 Written 2026-08-14