Pauline Hanson has blasted a new proposal that would see Australian homeowners pay “rent” on the land they own to First Nations Australians, calling the idea “outrageous”.

The initiative, called Pay The Rent, proposes a weekly payment from non-Indigenous homeowners to a “Sovereign Body of First Nations people” who will decide where the money is allocated without the input of the government.

The body, which is driven by the motto “saying sorry isn’t enough”, aims to turn the scheme into an organisation that encourages all Australians to “honour the legacy of the Elders” by doing their part for the land through financial donations.

“It is a somewhat more just way of living on this stolen land,” its website states.

While there have been no official calls to make the scheme government policy, ex-Greens senator Lidia Thorpe and feminist author Clementine Ford have backed the initiative.

Despite some support for the scheme, Pauline Hanson has been vocal in her disapproval, going as far as pushing others to sign a petition to “Stop the Rent Tax”.

Her party has also released a statement branding the scheme as “deeply flawed and unjust” and a “distraction” from the real issues faced by the Indigenous community. 

Now, in her latest address to the senate, Hanson doubled down on her criticism of the plan, claiming it was “offensive” towards white Australians.

“The idea Australians should pay rent for living in their own country is offensive, it’s based on the idea that only Aborigines (sic) own Australia. They don’t,” she said.

“I was born here and no self-identifying Indigenous Australian including those with minute amounts of Indigenous heritage has more right or connection to this land than I do.”

Senator Hanson continued by claiming all Australians had contributed to the nation’s achievements, failures and values, suggesting the scheme would be “discriminatory” towards the non-Indigenous community.

“The only good thing about the race-based rent idea is that the activists who want it reveal their true motivation,” she said.

“It’s not about justice or redress, it’s about money. Other people’s money. It’s just about their greed.”

She continued her speech by slamming the Voice to Parliament, insisting it would be a gateway to giving the body a reason to introduce similar plans to the Pay The Rent initiative. 

“It’s only a matter of time before non-Aboriginal Australians are forced to pay yet more tax, a race-based rent tax,” she said.

“As usual the Aboriginal industry will keep all the money and truly disadvantage Aborigines (sic) and remote communities will continue to suffer poverty, unemployment and crime.”

While some agreed with Hanson’s opinions, those in favour of the initiative argued it was the least that could be done to support the Indigenous community.

“It‘s their land – they never ceded ownership. After they suffered a century of genocide – rent is the least we should give them,” one comment read.

Image credits: Getty Images