Updated April 12, 2017 18:17:21

Photo: Pauline Hanson says people should buy chocolate from companies which are not halal certified. (Supplied)

A Tasmanian union has blasted Senator Pauline Hanson following her call for a boycott of Cadbury chocolate this Easter.

The One Nation leader took to Facebook this week to urge the public not to buy from manufacturers of halal-certified chocolate, including Cadburys, this Easter — warning that to do so would mean "financially supporting the Islamisation of Australia".

Senator Hanson said people should buy their chocolate from non-halal certified makers such as Darrell Lea and Lindt and claimed some manufacturers were "misleading" customers by not labelling their products as halal-certified on the wrappers.

"Go and buy some non-halal Easter eggs and chocolate and have a very happy Easter everyone," she says in the video.

Tasmanian branch secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union, John Short, said a reduction in Cadbury sales could affect the company's workers, including at its Claremont factory near Hobart.

"Any reduction in chocolate sales this Easter because of Senator Hanson's irresponsible comments directly threatens the jobs of our members and we call on the public to ignore her," Mr Short said.

"She [Pauline Hanson] talks about Australians, she talks about Australian jobs, but she's putting these jobs at risk.

"We want to make sure that people buy that product because it is Australian-made by Australians."

Mr Short said 12 Tasmanian workers lost their jobs last year after Cadbury decided to shut down its visitor centre.

"We have about 400 or 500 workers in Tasmania whose job rely on Cadbury," he said.

"She [Senator Hanson] should be putting her effort into making sure that jobs like Cadbury workers' jobs are safe and secure."

Senator Hanson's call received a mixed reaction from the audience of the ABC Hobart Facebook page.

Stephen Darcey Denehey said that "as a Christian I do not buy Cadburys because part of their profits go to build mosques".

"If Cadbury were to give the same amount of money annually to Christian churches I would buy their products but since they don't I shall continue supporting Lindt, a business that does not give money to build mosque," he said.

Jason Reilly declared he would be "buying what tastes good".

"Does it really matter whether the product is vegan, kosher, halal, diet, organic, any other quality you care to name?"

Catherine McGlead suggested "maybe if Pauline ate more chocolate she'd chill a bit. Something about releasing endorphins".

Meanwhile Cassandra Jennings came up with a brilliant plan.

"There's just been a national recall [of chocolate eggs] announced. I'll have a couple of collection points set up in the next few hours," she posted.

Topics: religion-and-beliefs, political-parties, food-and-beverage, tas

First posted April 12, 2017 16:59:07