Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has launched one of his most forceful attacks yet on Pauline Hanson and One Nation, accusing the party of betraying working Australians while benefiting from wealthy backers.
Speaking on Thursday while opening the Institute of Musculoskeletal Health at the University of Sydney, Albanese was pressed on Hanson’s ‘Fire the Liar’ fundraising campaign targeting him, which has raised more than $1.8million.
He contrasted the campaign with Hanson’s links to mining magnate Gina Rinehart, Australia’s richest person, noting the One Nation leader had previously received a private aircraft valued at more than $2million.
‘This is someone who got a plane worth more than that given to her by Australia’s richest person,’ Albanese said.
‘So that pales into insignificance compared with the size of a single donation that was given.’
Albanese cast doubt on the fundraising claims, dismissing them as attention-grabbing rhetoric.
‘Did she, did she though? What evidence is there?’ he said.
‘It’s an example of slogans being put forward, not substance.’
Albanese (pictured) unleashed against Pauline Hanson during a press conference in Sydney
He said Hanson was focused more on headlines than outcomes.
‘People can say all of these things, they get a run in the media,’ he said.
‘There was even effectively a free ad for their fundraising campaign in one of the mainstream publications yesterday.’
Albanese also defended his government’s policy agenda, contrasting it with Hanson and her party.
‘Pauline Hanson and One Nation have voted against all of the improvements that have been made on living standards,’ he said.
‘They have described things like free TAFE as being waste. They have opposed measures such as same job, same pay.’
Albanese argued that his government is focused on delivering concrete outcomes rather than engaging in rhetoric.
‘You need to govern a country in a way that looks after the full range of policy suites, with solutions, not just identifying problems, but importantly coming up with solutions,’ he said.
Hanson (pictured) has raised over $1.8million for One Nation via her ‘Fire the Liar’ drive
He cited a string of health and cost-of-living measures as evidence, including additional funding for medical research, a $25 billion boost to hospitals, making urgent care clinics permanent, tripling bulk billing incentives for GPs, and delivering cheaper medicines.
‘All of this is about making a difference to people’s lives,’ he said.
The Prime Minister also slammed the Coalition, singling out Liberal frontbencher Tony Pasin over remarks suggesting the party should consider standing aside in some seats as part of a deal with One Nation.
‘The extraordinary statement by Tony Pasin, a shadow minister, saying that the Liberal Party should give up on trying to win seats, should step aside so One Nation are the one right-wing party going forward, that says it all,’ Albanese said.
‘It says everything about the way that the once-mainstream Liberal Party has become just a fringe party, almost giving up two years before an election is held.’
