Yesterday, allegations surfaced that a One Nation staffer earlier this year referred to an Indigenous journalist by a derogatory slur, simply for doing their job – asking party leader Pauline Hanson a question.
That allegation was made by Charles Swindon, a former One Nation staffer who led the campaign for the party’s first elected lower house MP, in an interview with 60 Minutes .
Swindon was detailing a litany of appalling behaviour he claims to have witnessed within the party.
He alleges that during Hanson’s Press Club address back in June, a staffer watching the speech alongside other One Nation personnel at party headquarters shouted out that the Indigenous journalist who had questioned Hanson was a “black c—t”.
The revelation is deeply disturbing, not simply because of the appalling language allegedly used, but because it exposes the culture of racism and contempt that can exist within the ranks of a political party seeking to influence the national conversation.
To be the target of such a vile racial slur is deeply personal.
It also speaks to the broader experience of Indigenous Australians who continue to face racism, abuse and intimidation in public life.
I had simply asked Hanson about her party’s Indigenous Affairs policies.
The National Press Club is a forum for discussion and debate, particularly on matters of political analysis and policy scrutiny.
Indigenous media have every right, and indeed a professional responsibility, to hold those in positions of power to account – particularly those seeking the highest office in the country.
No political leader should be above scrutiny, and no journalist should be subjected to racial abuse for simply doing their job.
Three months ago, I appeared in front of the Senate Inquiry into racism, hate and violence directed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
My evidence at the Senate Inquiry in August - like so many others – highlighted the rise of racism directed at us across the country - on sporting fields, in workplaces, in our schools, on our streets, in pubs, in our institutions and happening in our everyday interactions.
In total, 727 submissions were provided to the Senate Inquiry – which was triggered by rising online racism, public hate speech, and violent incidents (such as the alleged attacks in Perth and at Camp Sovereignty in Melbourne ).
The submissions, from individuals, organisations, companies, advocacy groups and Indigenous leaders are a sobering and confronting reminder that the experiences of racism in this country are not only confined to isolated incidents or individual acts of prejudice.
“The racism that I grew up with in the 1970s is back,” I told the Inquiry back in August.
“In travelling around and talking to First Nations people from metropolitan areas to regional and remote Aboriginal communities, I've seen that they've seen the rise in racism. They've seen the rise in racism online.
“As many of the submissions to this inquiry have illustrated, the problem is not diminishing. It is growing. It is not last year. It is not last month. It is not even last week. It is happening now,” I said.
I was joined at the Inquiry’s Public Hearing by Network Ten journalist Narelda Jacobs, former Today show presenter Brooke Boney and executives representing SBS/NITV and the ABC.
We all highlighted how we have been subjected to racism for simply for doing our jobs as media professionals – for asking questions, scrutinising those in positions of power and amplifying the voices and aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
In response to Swindon’s allegation of a racial slur directed at me during Hanson’s Press Club address, One Nation’s Barnaby Joyce said that such a comment in general was unacceptable – but remained very sceptical over the allegation, noting it was by a disgruntled former employee.
“All I can make a comment on is an allegation, it’s almost like a hypothetical.
“In terms of that hypothetical it is not something that is acceptable, if a person said that around me, I would say you cannot talk like that.
“I have also said in the past to people you can’t talk like that, you can’t think like that.”
Joyce also went on to link the allegations of me being called a ‘black c—t” by a One Nation Staffer to Indigenous funding.
“I don’t think there is a view of racism inside One Nation, there is definitely a view about stronger oversight on the spending of money,” he said.
Mr Joyce did not indicate if he’s asked internally if the incident had occurred or made any further investigation on the matter.
The biennial Australian Reconciliation Barometer by Reconciliation Australia documents a significant, long-term increase in racism and racial discrimination directed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
According to the latest report, the number of Indigenous people who said they had experienced racism rose from 39 per cent in 2014 to 54 per cent in 2024.
From the same report, experiences of racism include verbal abuse, social media harassment, being denied entry or service, rental and housing discrimination, and physical violence; institutions and sectors where discrimination frequently occurs include police, government services, rideshares/taxis, hospitality, utilities, and workplaces.
Swindon’s allegation of the One Nation staffer's comments comes after Hanson faced widespread condemnation in September 2026 after resurfaced comments from a podcast interview recorded the previous year showed her describing Indigenous Australians as the "most primitive race on Earth".
Hanson later expressed “regret” for the comments saying it “wasn’t my intention to hurt people”.
In her evidence back in August to the Racism Inquiry, Gamilaroi journalist Brooke Boney revealed that she walked away from her media career in 2024 after facing "menacing" threats, which included the doxxing of her personal email and home address.
“After more than a decade of publicly discussing racism, repeated exposure to it has contributed to my decision to be less vocal on issues where I might otherwise have contributed.
“That withdrawal is not only a personal loss. When racism makes First Nations people weigh the cost of speaking, public debate and policymaking lose knowledge and experience they need,” she said.
“Our absence from policy discussions helps reproduce structural inequality and perpetuates cycles of spending without results.”
“First Nations people do not need to prove that racism is real,” Boney added.
Coincidentally, at last week’s National RAP Conference in Tarndanya (Adelaide), I moderated a panel on anti-racism featuring Senator Jana Stewart, Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, which is currently leading the parliamentary inquiry into racism.
During the discussions, I asked Senator Stewart - a Mutthi Mutthi and Wamba Wamba woman from North-West Victoria - to reflect on the one submission or piece of evidence that had stayed with her most, and which best illustrated the extent of racism experienced by Indigenous Australians.
She became visibly emotional, breaking down in tears as she recalled the testimony of a grandmother who told the Inquiry that she was glad her grandchildren didn't look like her and, as a result, would not have to endure the same racism she had experienced throughout her life.
Back in September, I wrote an online article following Hanson’s “primitive” comments:
“In this political climate, the question isn’t if more derogatory comments will come; it’s how soon, and how much worse they’ll get,” I wrote.
