Politics · Australia · 2 hrs ago
One Nation Victoria deputy defends AI campaign video amid racism criticism
One Nation Victoria deputy leader Colleen Harkin has defended an AI-generated campaign video shown at the party’s launch in Melbourne earlier this month.
It depicts a suicide bomber and a home invader, including a machete-wielding young man of African appearance.
Harkin said the video addresses crime and social cohesion, and denied that it is racist.
The clip has sparked criticism, including a dispute involving a Tasmanian cafe owner and Pauline Hanson’s daughter.
Harkin also said One Nation Victoria is not seeking a coalition with the Liberals, but will encourage voters to preference them over Labor.
She said the party is serious about rescinding Victoria’s landmark Treaty and called climate change irrelevant to Australia’s economy.
The sources do not say what action, if any, will follow the criticism of the video.
One Nation Victoria deputy leader Colleen Harkin defended an AI-generated campaign video and denied it was racist.
The video, shown at the party’s campaign launch in Melbourne earlier this month, depicts a machete-wielding young man of African appearance and a suicide bomber who appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent.
The video drew criticism, including from a Tasmanian cafe owner who said the clip offended them.
Harkin said the video addressed crime and social cohesion, and denied it showed prejudice.
Federal One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce said crime was a significant issue in Victoria, but indicated he had not seen the video.
- Who
- One Nation Victoria deputy leader Colleen Harkin defended the video. Critics included a Tasmanian cafe owner who was offended by it.
- What
- Harkin denied an AI-generated campaign video was racist. It featured a machete-wielding young man and a suicide bomber.
- When
- The video was shown at a campaign launch earlier this month. Harkin discussed it on Monday morning.
- Where
- The launch was in Melbourne. The video also sparked a row involving a cafe owner in Tasmania.
- Why
- Harkin said it addressed problems including crime and social cohesion. The sources do not state why the video depicted the figures shown.
Colleen Harkin
Critics of the video
Whether the video was racist
Colleen Harkin
Harkin said she did not accept that it was racist and denied prejudice was involved.
Critics of the video
The video drew racism criticism, and a Tasmanian cafe owner was offended by it.
What the video depicted
Colleen Harkin
Harkin said it addressed crime and social cohesion.
Critics of the video
Critics objected to a video featuring a machete-wielding young man of African appearance and a suicide bomber who appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent.
I don't accept the premise that it is racist
I think most people are looking at some of those things and they're saying, you know, we do have problems with crime in the state, we do have problems with social cohesion and where it's coming from.
Machete crime has been an incredibly scary thing
Labor is our political enemy and the Liberal Party is our political competition
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson labelled climate change and global warming a hoax.
One Nation showed the AI-generated video at its campaign launch in Melbourne.
Barnaby Joyce was asked about the video and indicated he had not seen it.
Harkin defended the video in an interview with 774 ABC Melbourne.
- Party
- One Nation
- Deputy leader
- Colleen Harkin
- Launch location
- Melbourne
- Video figures
- A young man of African appearance wielding a machete and a suicide bomber who appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent
- Interview outlet
- 774 ABC Melbourne
Sources
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