One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has launched a fierce attack on the Albanese Government’s proposed hate speech laws, warning they could criminalise expressions of national pride – including saying, ‘Australia is the best country in the world.’

Senator Hanson criticised the nearly 500-page Bill, which the Government plans to introduce to Parliament following the Bondi Beach terror attack.

Under the proposed reforms, a new offence would be added to the Criminal Code, carrying a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment for publicly promoting or inciting racial hatred.

The Government says the legislation is necessary to address rising extremist rhetoric and online radicalisation.

But Hanson warned the laws were overly broad and could capture ordinary political debate about culture, immigration, and national identity.

She pointed to a provision in the Bill that outlaws the dissemination of ‘ideas of superiority’ based on race, colour, or national or ethnic origin.

‘It could make someone saying “Australia is the best country in the world” a criminal, subject to five years in prison,’ Hanson said.

‘Australians will be stripped of their freedom of speech, opinion, and the ability to express pride in their culture and nationality.’

Pauline Hanson (right) warned the new laws would make it illegal to show national pride

Pauline Hanson (pictured) and One Nation are set to oppose the laws when voted on next week

Hanson argued the Bill’s definitions of ‘intimidation,’ ‘fear,’ and ‘hatred’ were vague and expansive, meaning routine commentary could fall foul of the law.

The legislation would penalise conduct intended to promote hatred toward a person or group based on race, colour, or national or ethnic origin, and ban the sharing of ideas deemed to assert superiority on those grounds.

Hanson asked: ‘Will flying the Australian flag be an offence as well? That’s disseminating ideas of superiority – ‘the best’ – over a group of people base.