War of words: Commentator Derryn Hinch and right-wing politician Pauline Hanson debate Australian refugee policy on Sunrise. But her empathy abruptly morphed into a rambling laundry list of grievances. "Just last week, I was up in Rockhampton," she said. "Refugees that are now in the town are actually taking jobs in the meat works. And Australians up there feel that they are reverse-racism (sic)." Without pausing to explain what reverse-racism is, or how it differs from garden-variety racism, she switched to the plight of the local high schools. They have more than "100 refugee children each" who are "abusing and making death threats to the teachers", she alleged. It's so bad that a full-time police officer is reportedly required to maintain law and order in the playground.

'If you want to have peace and harmony in this country, you cannot keep increasing the Muslims': Pauline Hanson on Sunrise. And she wasn't finished: "We also have Australians that are protesting over the mosques that are going to want to be built in Australia ... I was out at Birdsville — the prime minister reneged on $7 million..." By this point, Koch had grown dubious. 'Angela Merkel deserves the Peace Prize for the fact Germany has stepped up to the plate, which our country has not': Derryn Hinch on Sunrise. "I think you're cherry-picking there, though Pauline, aren't you?" he asked her. "You're really cherry-picking bad..."

Hanson maintained she wanted to see where the money would come from. This caused Hinch to erupt. 'I think you're cherry-picking there, though Pauline': David Koch challenges Pauline Hanson's assertions on Sunrise. "It's offensive even having you on the bloody program!" he thundered. "Where's the money going to come from? How about the millions that we spend to send four people to go to Cambodia? You could have brought 50 thousand here! "If the prime minister announced, change of heart, he would bring in 50,000 refugees, sadly the Australian electorate — many of them, ones like you — wouldn't accept it. It's a special case of the worst refugee situation and displacement of people since World War II. The world can't sit back and do nothing!"

Hinch said that while he agreed with the boat turn-back policy, "this is different ... [German Chancellor] Angela Merkel deserves the Peace Prize for the fact Germany has stepped up to the plate, which our country has not." Hanson, however, predicted widespread suffering if Australia did the same. When Koch pointed out the many Vietnamese and Chinese immigrants of the 1970s and '80s are now "thriving communities", she countered him with an anecdote. "I have met a Vietnamese taxi driver ... and he said what is happening: we have never had the problems we have had in this country from any other religious organisation than we have with the Muslims. So people are now protesting on the streets over this. And if you want to have peace and harmony in this country, you cannot keep increasing the Muslims, Islam, in Australia. We are going to have huge problems down the track..."

It wasn't even 7am, but Koch seemed to be in urgent need of a whiskey. "Pauline," he sighed. "We're talking about refugees." "They have an impact on our culture and our way of life," Hanson insisted. Sound familiar?

Hanson famously expressed similar sentiments almost two decades ago during her maiden speech to parliament. Except a different ethnic group was in her crosshairs back then. "I believe we are in danger of being swamped by Asians," she proclaimed. "They have their own culture and religion, form ghettos and do not assimilate ... a truly multicultural country can never be strong or united." Yet her dire forecasts were off the mark, according to Armytage. "Look at our community," she urged viewers.

"Look at our society, as a result of [immigration]. So much more enriched. Just think about that." If Abbott does welcome refugees, Hanson warned viewers, he'll face a voter backlash: "Australians are protesting now over mosques; it's impacting on their beliefs over schools..." Hinch could not even deal. "Would you run a disclaimer after the segment?" he asked his hosts. "'I wish I hadn't been on it.' Just at the bottom. Jeez." @Michael_Lallo

mlallo@fairfaxmedia.com.au