Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party claims it raised almost $1.3 million in a single day after launching a website called “Fire the Liar” – a direct attack on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
The website went live at 6.04am on Wednesday with a target of $1 million. By 8.41pm, the party said donations had hit nearly $1.3 million. They’ve now set a new goal of $1.5 million.
The site accuses Albanese of lying to Australians on immigration, stage 3 tax cuts, the Voice to parliament, negative gearing, and capital gains tax. It’s a blunt instrument – and it’s working.
Hanson told Perth radio station 6PR she was “absolutely blown away” by the response. “It clearly tells you people aren’t against One Nation … they want the Labor Party gone,” she said.
Since the start of the year, One Nation’s primary vote has surged past the Coalition in published polls. The Resolve Political Monitor on May 17 put Labor at 29 per cent, One Nation at 24 per cent, and the LNP at 23 per cent. Hanson, who spent nearly 30 years on the political fringes, has now forced herself into the mainstream.
Hanson is criss-crossing the country for intimate fundraisers, some hosted or facilitated by Australia’s richest person, mining billionaire Gina Rinehart. That includes a sold-out “Sundowner” in Perth on Wednesday evening with Hanson, One Nation senator Tyron Whitten, WA state leader Rod Caddies, and state MP Phil Scott.
On Friday, Hanson and former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce will headline a cocktail party at Casa Giorgio in Moonee Ponds, Melbourne. The event promises to “bring together business leaders, community figures and supporters seeking a stronger direction for Victoria”.
“I’ll let Pauline Hanson engage in negative activity. What I’m doing here is actually doing something real for people, and that’s the difference. Promoting division takes the country nowhere.”
Hanson’s close relationship with Rinehart has drawn scrutiny. The Guardian recently reported that Hanson and Joyce billed taxpayers more than $3,000 to attend fundraisers on Rinehart’s luxury cruise ship, The World. In March, Hanson charged taxpayers almost $9,000 for a chartered flight to open a building at a private agricultural college funded by Rinehart.
Rinehart was a long-time donor to the Coalition but has switched her financial support to One Nation. Both Opposition Leader Angus Taylor and newly installed Liberal Party president Tony Abbott have backed swapping preferences with One Nation at the next election to force Labor out.
Abbott, speaking at a book launch in Washington this week, said the Liberals were undone by “a lack of conviction and a lack of political competence”. He compared voters switching to One Nation to car buyers moving from Fords to Hondas or Toyotas when their Fords keep breaking down.
Hanson promised the money would be used wisely and not wasted. With a war chest growing fast and polls in her favour, she’s betting Australians are ready to fire the liar – whoever they think that is.