Pauline Hanson has revealed her shock first acts as PM if elected, including giving every self-funded retiree in Australia a healthcare card offering cut-price medicine and “free” GP visits.
Appearing on News 24’s Please Explain special, the One Nation leader railed against government spending before unveiling a big idea that could cost taxpayers billions.
“So, self-funded retirees, you worked hard, you get nothing back,” she said.
“Even getting a healthcare card, I think that if you’ve reached the age of retirement, you should be given the same benefits of having that healthcare card at least.”
The coveted cards offer seniors huge discounts. Currently an income test applies of $100,000 for singles and $160,000 for self-funded retirees.
Defamation fight
Hanson also vowed to take her defamation fight all the way to the High Court after being hit with a massive legal bill for telling a Greens Senator to “piss off back to Pakistan”.
In a 2024 Federal Court decision Justice Angus Stewart ruled her remarks aimed at Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi were “seriously offensive” and a “strong form of racism”.
This week, the full bench of the Federal Court upheld the finding that Senator Hanson had breached the Racial Discrimination Act, and her appeal was thrown out.
Asked about the “pretty sizeable amount of money that’s on the table here” Senator Hanson said she wanted to take the matter to the High Court.
“There’s a lot riding on this,’’ she said.
“The government under Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison had the opportunity to get rid of 18C. 18C is where anyone can take you if they feel offended, harassed, intimidated, or insulted.
“It’s just a ridiculous piece of legislation. So if I win this case, that will be thrown out.
“We have a right to have an opinion. They’re shutting us down an opinion because you might offend someone. You know, it’s just ridiculous.”
She has reportedly consulted Bret Walker, SC, a top constitutional law expert, and Perry Herzfeld, SC, ahead of a likely High Court battle.
“I am talking to my lawyers now at the moment of putting an appeal to the High Court. I’m not going to drop it,’’ she said.
Immigration target
The One Nation leader also revealed her first act if she was able to form government.
Senator Hanson said she had been “very consistent for the past 30 years” on immigration.
“We have too many people coming to the country,’’ she said.
“I’m selecting a figure around about 130,000 people. You’ve still got to allow those into the country because a lot of businesses and doctors and nurses that we need, you fill those positions by all means.
“But cutting back immigration will address the housing issue that we have.”
Net zero and cost of living
Senator Hanson said that cost of living was a huge issue and that net zero targets will go if she could form government.
“Government overspend. It’s not about the war in the Middle East. And what has happened is government has been wasting and spending too much money, which created inflation, which has driven cost of living,’’ she said.
“It needs to be cut right back. The wasteful spending. I’d have a good look at that.”
One Nation would also end Australia’s commitment to net zero.
“The other one is get rid of the climate change department,’’ she said.
“Get rid of all that net zero rubbish. Get out of the Paris Agreement. Once you do that, you’re going to reduce the cost of living, and the cost of electricity prices as well.”
Childcare questions
One parent asked what support One Nation would offer regarding childcare costs.
“I’d like a full investigation into childcare,’’ she said.
“Actually, to tell you the truth, it’s costing the taxpayers $16 billion a year, and something’s out of control there.
“That’s a lot of money spent in childcare, so that’s where I’d like an investigation into it.”
NDIS scams
Senator Hanson said the National Disability Insurance Scheme also needed a massive overhaul.
“It’s costing about $52 billion at the moment. If it kept going, by 2032, it would be $100 billion. It is now equal to what we spend on defence,’’ she said.
“Go after the ones that are scamming it. A lot of people are ripping the system off, and so NDIS is one.
“The Aboriginal industry that I’ve been on about this for a long, long time. The waste of money that goes in that, and I’d like to see every Australian individual needs based not based on race.”
Welcome to Country
One voter asked Pauline Hanson if she would end Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country practices in daycares, kindergartens, primary schools, and junior sporting events.
Senator Hanson said she and other colleagues “turn our back on it” in the Senate.
“That’s how I feel about it,’’ she said.
“So I’m prepared to do it myself. I do not believe in having Welcome to Country.
“You can’t stop people if businesses want to do it, all right.
“But in government departments, I wouldn’t have a Welcome to Country on the bottom of their literature or their sheets of paper they put out or government websites. I wouldn’t be having it in educational systems schools. I’d shut it all down.”
Permanent residents
Senator Hanson was put on the spot regarding one man’s parents who were permanent residents including his dad, who worked at the BHP Steelworks in Port Kembla.
“He made sure that his sons became Australian citizens in this beautiful country,’’ the man said.
“One question. My parents are 89 years of age, and they are not citizens of this beautiful country. Do they lose their benefits if they are not citizens at the age of 89 years of age?”
Senator Hanson said that was never a One Nation policy.
“No way,” she said. “They are permanent residents in Australia? Yeah, yeah. They’ve been paying the taxes all these years. I don’t believe in taking away their benefits at 89 years of age.”
Gina picks up bill for Euro flights
On Tuesday, Ms Hanson revealed that mining magnate Gina Rinehart picked up the tab for her flights between London, Rome and Sicily and her ticket to a Dolce & Gabbana fashion parade.
Senator Hanson, who previously declined to say who paid for the trip, lodged an update to her pecuniary interest register this week confirming she personally covered the cost of her accommodation, meals and expenses.
However, the billionaire covered the connecting flights for Senator Hanson’s European trip.
“It didn’t cost the taxpayer one cent for my trip overseas. Not one cent,” Senator Hanson said.
The One Nation leader holidayed with Gina Rinehart at the five-star Grand Hotel San Pietro, where the pair were photographed poolside.
The images, first reported by The Australian Financial Review, were snapped by fellow Aussies at the luxury resort in Sicily.
The venue rose to fame after featuring as the backdrop for HBO’s smash hit drama, The White Lotus.
In a social media video responding to criticism in Australia over the trip, the One Nation leader was unrepentant.
“Yes, I went to Sicily. Yes, I went to the Dolce & Gabbana fashion show,” she said.
“What an experience. I was invited to go and thought, ‘well, I’ve never been to anything like that’. And I thought, ‘yes, I’m going to go and see it’. Is it my scene? No, no way in the wide world.”
Ms Hanson has previously declared multiple gifts from Ms Rinehart and her company Hancock Prospecting, including return flights to Florida in October and a “bloody big orange bulldozer”.
She has also confirmed being gifted a plane by Gina Rinehart to campaign in regional Australia.
“BREAKING NEWS – I’ve got a new plane,” the One Nation leader said in a social media post.
“Yes it was donated. Yes I’m super happy. Yes it’s fast. Yes it’s amazing.
“Yes it means I can visit more regional towns across the country more often.”
Senator Hanson described the aircraft – a Cirrus G7 – as “sexy” and revealed she would not be doing “welcome to country each (time) we land”.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers ripped into One Nation and the Liberal Party last week, suggesting that billionaire Ms Rinehart is calling the shots.
Accusing critics of the budget changes to capital gains tax and negative gearing of being all about protecting their privilege, the Treasurer revved up ALP delegates in Adelaide.
“Our tax reforms begin with the simple truth that there’s a generational crisis in housing,’’ he said.
“We can choose to ignore it or choose to address it. Ignoring it would be easier politically, much easier, but the wrong choice. It would consign future generations to a broken status quo and leave this for some other government to fix.
“Too many young Australians are already locked out of housing, and we decided not to let that endure. We decided not just to acknowledge that truth but to actually do something about it, even if it meant the predictable daily barrage of scare campaigns full of lies.”
But the attack got personal when the Treasurer accused his opponents of trying to stop the path of progress for first-home buyers.
“Our opponents who say we’re pulling up the ladder don’t understand there’s not much point in a ladder with the first few rungs missing,’’ he said.
“Not everybody is born already at the top of the ladder like Angus Taylor was; not everybody fails upwards like he has.
“And unlike One Nation, we vote the way workers need us to, not the way Gina Rinehart tells us to.”
Mr Chalmers said there would “always be those who want everything to stay exactly the same.”
“We’re not among them,’’ he said.
Read related topics:Pauline Hanson