Pauline Hanson has reacted furiously after one of Labor’s most senior female figures said the One Nation leader should consider whether her own engagement with extremist ideas was inciting violence against her.
Attorney-General Michelle Rowland on Tuesday declared the Queensland Senator had to look at herself and her own standards before accusing the Prime Minister of being responsible for the public threats she faces.
“It is dangerous to be a politician in Australia today. It’s dangerous to be a high-profile woman. It is dangerous to be going out in public in some instances, and I can say this as someone who has been in parliament for 16 years,” Ms Rowland told the ABC.
“I would suggest that Senator Hanson should examine what her party and what her ideology and her behaviour is doing, and whether or not that is encouraging that. I don’t wish any politician any ill will, irrespective of their political persuasion … (however) I think sometimes when comments like this are made, one needs to look at oneself and one’s behaviour.”
“When you go on and you entertain some of the individuals whom she has been entertaining, who are not only convicted criminals, but when you admit that you have a party that has been infiltrated by extremists and neo-Nazis, this is exactly the kind of dangers to which politicians are being put in this country”.
“I think sometimes when comments like this are made, one needs to look at oneself and one’s behaviour, and the kinds of standards that they accept into their own party and their own ideology,” the country’s first law officer argued.
Hitting back at the criticism, Senator Hanson demanded that the Attorney-General immediately retract her comments and apologise for “slandering One Nation and its supporters while appearing to excuse the violent threats directed against them”.
“Millions of Australians support One Nation. They are not extremists. They are not dangerous. And ministers should not use language that encourages others to treat them as if they are,” she posted on X.
“No minister, especially the Attorney-General and first law officer of the country, should suggest there is any justification for threats against Australians because of the political party they support.”
“Labor should be asking why Australians are abandoning them for One Nation, not demonising those Australians for how they vote and putting them in danger. These are desperate acts from a government of liars.”
During a weekend speech, the Prime Minister took aim at right-wing populists for “peddling dangerous, divisive and dishonest” politics, sparking fury from Senator Hanson who on Monday accused Anthony Albanese of inciting violence against her.
In June, The Nightly revealed Senator Hanson’s then Chief of Staff had raised the need for greater Australian Federal Police protection for the outspoken politician directly with senior members of the Albanese government.
On Tuesday, several Labor frontbench figures continued to attack Senator Hanson’s record as they insisted Mr Albanese was not to blame for any threats the One Nation leader had received.
Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister Patrick Gorman said the Albanese government had for years been urging all politicians to bring down the temperature of public debate, which One Nation had refused to do.
“It is what the Prime Minister does. It is not always, I will be honest, what I see and what I observe from One Nation. But I welcome Senator Hanson joining with us to say that we need to make sure we all treat one another in a respectful way,” he told the ABC.
The Nightly understands the AFP detail assigned to Senator Hanson has recently been increased and the politician has also upgraded security measures at her Queensland home.
Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.
Sign up for our emails