One Nation’s Tasmanian state president Lee Hanson says she still hopes her local Richmond cafe succeeds, a day after the small business publicly shunned her.
On Tuesday, Richmond Reading Room owner Dana Stevens posted on social media that any money spent at the cafe by a One Nation member “will be donated directly” to the Tasmanian Greens.
The post had asked readers whether they had seen “the latest one nation ad” and felt “absolutely disgusted”.
“You’ll likely feel the same way when you see the orange ute outside our coffee shop,” the post read, referring to the branded One Nation ute Lee Hanson drives.
Hanson said she had been a regular at the cafe since it opened nearly two years ago and first saw the post after local One Nation members sent her screenshots.
“It was very confronting,” she told Pulse this morning – as she sat with a coffee outside the Richmond Bakery across town.
Hanson said she had been “blindsided” and had never had a negative experience at the cafe.
“I’ll respect their decision, but what I have a problem with is the way that they handled it,” she said.
“Being such a small community where people really work together, if you have a concern, go talk to the people, make them aware.”
“But their very first step, with zero indication whatsoever, was to put up a social media vent post about it and isolate not just me, but many, many community members who are One Nation members here.”
Hanson described the post as “double standards” from people who “talk about inclusivity”, but said “everyone’s entitled to their political views”.
She said other local businesses had contacted her to offer support.
“I’ve been part of the Richmond community for over a decade.”
“This is the type of community where it’s very seasonal, community supports each other.”
“You get to know all the local families, the local businesses.”
While some reporting had characterised Hanson’s view of the ordeal as “political discrimination”, she told Pulse she did not believe in the ‘cancel culture’ politics that has become prominent in recent years.
“I don’t wanna ostracise that business … I still hope it does succeed for Richmond. I really do.”
“I’m not going to turn against the business because I still want every business to thrive and I want it to thrive for Richmond’s sake.”
Across town, Richmond Bakery owner Kim Kay said Hanson had been a customer “for a very long time” and that the bakery welcomed everyone – no matter their political views.
“We don’t exclude anyone,” Kay said.
At the Richmond Reading Room this morning, owner Dana Stevens kept her response to Pulse brief.
“We’re just here to serve coffee and serve the community,” she said.
She would not comment further.
Tasmanian Greens deputy leader Vica Bayley said the cafe owner was simply responding to what he described as an “utterly despicable ad” from One Nation.
“[It] is punching down on vulnerable communities, be they migrants or be they Aboriginal people,” he said this afternoon.
“There is no place in our country for racism and for division and I think that’s what this cafe is responding to.”
He accused One Nation of “playing the victim card”.
“Cry me a river from Ms Hanson,” he said.
“One Nation is a racist, abhorrent ideology and political party in my view.”
“Clearly it’s the same for this cafe owner and they’ve decided that it’s time to do something about it.”
Hanson said she had received “some pretty filthy messages” from some Greens supporters but that she was “not a victim”.
