Australian far-right leader apologises for ‘primitive’ Indigenous remark

Australian far-right leader Pauline Hanson has apologized for describing Indigenous Australians as "primitive" on Monday. This comes after the One Nation party, which Hanson leads, gained popularity this year and is now one of Australia's most favored political parties, according to recent polls.

In the wake of her controversial remarks, Hanson issued a qualified apology to the Australian public on Tuesday, stating that she would apologize if she had offended anyone by her choice of words. She also admitted to being not the most eloquent speaker, attributing her tendency to say things that could be perceived as insensitive or crude to her "foot-in-mouth" syndrome.

Indigenous Australians, with ancestors inhabiting the continent for over 60,000 years, experience a life expectancy eight years shorter than the general population. This disparity is attributed to a range of factors, including chronic health issues, higher poverty rates, limited access to healthcare, and socio-economic challenges.

Hanson's apology also extended to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, with whom she had clashed over the former leader's late mother living in public housing. Albanese had condemned Hanson's "mean and nasty" comments, which led to calls from an opposition lawmaker to "leave mums out of it."

Despite her long history of inflammatory statements about minorities, Hanson's popularity has not wavered. A recent poll conducted by Resolve Strategic for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers revealed that 27% of Australians would support Hanson's One Nation party. This figure is only one percentage point behind the ruling Labor Party.