NSW senator Hollie Hughes takes swipe at Sam Kerr in Parliament
An NSW Liberal senator has taken a swipe at Sam Kerr, saying the footballer currently on trial in England should note it was racist to attack white people.
The Matildas superstar is in the midst of a trial for racially aggravated harassment of a police officer with intent to cause harm or distress.
She was arrested after an incident in 2023, when she says she became terrified when trapped in a London cab during a drunken dispute over a fare.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Footage played in court shows her calling a police officer “stupid and white”.
NSW senator Hollie Hughes referred to the case during a debate about anti-Semitism in universities on Thursday.
“If we talked about the destruction of you know … I’ll use my own race — of all Caucasians. Sam Kerr may take a note out of this book: it is racist to attack white people,” she told the chamber.
Cabinet minister Murray Watt said the contribution was “quite an amazing speech” with the number of people at whom Senator Hughes took aim.
“I think all Australians have admiration for Sam Kerr. Obviously, she’s gone through a difficult incident in the UK, but to be taking cheap shots at people like Sam Kerr to make a political statement, I think just shows you the lengths that Peter Dutton and his team will go,” he told reporters.
Senator Hughes also had a crack at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who was in Townsville visiting the deadly floods on Thursday while Parliament was sitting.
But Opposition Leader Peter Dutton later said it was good the PM was visiting the disaster zone.
