“Any foreign ownership is regrettable, but why are we allowing the Chinese government, an oppressive communist regime ,to own our assets?” Hanson said in the Senate.

In response, China accused Australia of being protectionist.

The anti-immigration politician also said those unwilling to give the nation their undivided loyalty to “go back where you came from”.

“Now we are in danger of being swamped by Muslims,” she said, recycling her own words from 20 years ago.

Hanson argued in her Wednesday speech that Australians have never been given the chance to vote on becoming a multiracial society. Her suggested solution? An immigration ban, as well as a moratorium on future mosques and Islamic schools. She also said Australia should introduce a new identity card with electronic fingerprints, and increase monitoring of existing Islamic groups.

Only 2.2 per cent of the Australian population identified as Muslim in the 2011 census. Nevertheless, Hanson used her speech to provoke fears that sharia law is invading the country.

“Australia is now seeing changes in suburbs predominantly Muslim,” she said.

“Tolerance towards other Australians is no longer the case. Our law courts are disrespected and our prisons have become breeding grounds for Muslims to radicalise inmates.”

Members of the Green party walked out during her remarks.

Keysar Trad, the president of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, said the speech displayed ignorance about Islam and that Hanson needed to conform to Australian values like a “fair go for all”.

In comments to The Australian newspaper, the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, said: “Senator Hanson knows I do not agree with her views on ­migration. Australia is the world’s most successful multicultural ­society and the foundation of that success is mutual respect.”

Labor’s Penny Wong said she chose not to attend the speech because Hanson “peddles prejudice and fear”.

But immigration has long been a top issue in Australia - it already has one of the most draconian immigration regimes in comparison with the US and most European countries.

In the days following that leak, protests were held across Australia. Instead of falling more towards Hanson’s way of seeing things, there are some signs that the Nauru revelations are pushing some Australians to request better treatment for refugees and immigrants.

On September 14, a poll commissioned by Save the Children, an international NGO, found that two-thirds of Australians believe the prime minister should act urgently to resettle refugees held in offshore detention centres, perhaps by bringing them to New Zealand.

And at the ongoing UN General Assembly in New York, Nauru and Australia will come under increasing scrutiny for their practises. In particular, the committee on the rights of the child will ask Nauru to clarify what measures are taken to protect child victims and witnesses of sexual abuse.

For her part, Hanson, who generally cloaks her anti-immigrant stance a bit more politely than Trump, said she’d be happy to help Muslims who don’t assimilate by relocating them to other countries. In fact, if they book their own flights, she’d even drop them off at their gates.

“If it would be of any help, I’ll take you to the airport and wave you goodbye with sincere best wishes,” she said in her speech.

The Washington Post, The Guardian, Reuters