One Nation Leader, Pauline Hanson, has ignited a contentious discussion surrounding the Voice to Parliament referendum by sharing a viral video that has been misleadingly edited. The video, which depicts a confrontation in the coastal Queensland town of Poona between an Indigenous mother and daughter and an elderly white woman, has garnered over 1.5 million views across social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
In the 48-second clip, a woman is heard reprimanding an elderly white woman for occupying a section of foreshore belonging to the Butchulla people. The Indigenous woman asserts their exclusive ownership of the land under federal native title, emphasizing that times are changing and urging the woman to leave.
Pauline Hanson shared the video on her official Facebook page, accompanied by the caption: “This offers a glimpse into the potential consequences of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s race-based Voice and its Treaty.”
However, investigations have uncovered that the video shared by Ms. Hanson is less than half the length of the original footage, resulting in a skewed representation of the incident and stripping away vital context.
The complete video, initially posted by Butchulla woman Samala Cronin and her mother and elder Gemma Cronin over two years ago, reveals that the altercation began when the elderly woman’s husband confronted the Indigenous women for filming. According to Samala Cronin, “We were strolling along the foreshore when people started emerging from their homes… Suddenly, this man approached us and began addressing us aggressively.”
The situation escalated as the man lunged at the camera and shouted, prompting Gemma Cronin to instinctively protect her daughter. Samala Cronin emphasized that their presence on the land was fully justified, referencing a 2019 native title decision that exclusively granted the stretch of land to the Butchulla people.
Towards the end of the unedited version, Samala Cronin is heard urging her mother to lower her voice due to the presence of young children nearby.
Pauline Hanson’s sharing of the selectively edited video has generated considerable controversy, sparking accusations of manipulation and misinformation. Critics argue that such actions hinder informed and constructive debates surrounding the Voice to Parliament initiative, underscoring the importance of responsible and accurate information dissemination during such crucial national conversations.