Top NSW One Nation candidate repeats ‘frankly outrageous’ conspiracy theory in protest speech
Stuart Bonds, the party’s upper house candidate, claimed “we are being demographically replaced inside our own nation”.
The New South Wales premier and the Australian Human Rights Commission have criticised comments made by the leader of One Nation’s upper house ticket in NSW, Stuart Bonds, who claimed that Australians are being "demographically replaced" unless "mass migration" is curtailed. Chris Minns, the premier, described Bonds' comments as "frankly outrageous and racist", stating that the replacement theory was "just a conspiracy theory that’s been imported from the US here to Australia".
Bonds, who will be the first candidate on the right-wing party’s NSW upper house ticket and is likely to be elected in March’s state election, made the controversial remarks at an anti-immigration rally in Sydney's CBD on Sunday. The rally attracted several hundred people, including neo-Nazis and other right-wing figures. Bonds claimed that Australians are being "demographically replaced inside our own nation" and warned that unless the situation was stopped, it would be "impossible to reverse".
The race discrimination commissioner, Giridharan Sivaraman, condemned Bonds' remarks, stating that they fostered "division and hate" and that the idea that migrants can never truly be Australian was inaccurate and dangerous. He reminded the audience that Australia has the longest continuous culture in the world and that migrants have always played a crucial role in shaping the nation.
Minns questioned which portfolios Bonds would hold if One Nation won the election, suggesting that he would likely hold roles related to trade, education, and the Treasury. Minns also asked whether the Coalition would distance itself from Bonds' views following the controversy. The federal minister for multicultural affairs, Anne Aly, responded by asserting that Australians with migrant backgrounds are not replacing Australians; they are simply Australians.
She emphasized that questioning someone's right to belong based on their race or ancestry was divisive, dangerous, and against the values of Australia.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian Australia's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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