One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson was in full ‘teacher mode’ during her appearance at the National Press Club on Wednesday.
It was her first-ever time at the esteemed podium, despite being in politics for more than 30 years. Hanson has always been taciturn with the media, and yesterday she was peak Pauline, telling off a lot of people and threatening them with time-outs, just as a teacher would.
Hanson smirked and tutted her head when a ‘prank’ was played
During her speech, an unauthorised banner slowly rolled down the screen behind Hanson. It displayed a mocked-up photo of the Senator wearing flashy sunglasses and throwing around cash. It read: “I opposed a pay rise for workers while I took a $100 000 pay rise for myself.”
Advocacy group GetUp! have claimed responsibility for the stunt, and the AFP are investigating how it was placed.
But Hanson remained calm and undeterred as she continued her lesson, oops, I mean her speech.
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Hanson threatened a reporter with being sent to a different classroom
When Hanson announced her desire to dismantle SBS, the public broadcaster’s chief political correspondent, Anna Henderson, told the One Nation leader that it provides Australian news in 60 different languages, and questioned how her plan to close it would help her policy of integrating foreign-born Australians into a “monoculture” (as Hanson called it yesterday).
Hanson responded by telling Henderson that she would be “out of a job” if she won office.
Making it clear that she’s concerned with two of the ‘three Rs’ of education, as the saying goes – reading and writing – Hanson added that anyone who comes to live in Australia should be able to speak better English.
Hanson grouped her bullies together
Like a teacher telling the class that everyone would be punished for one person’s crimes, Hanson said another public broadcaster – the ABC – would also need to be reviewed.
The senator added she’d like to ban the ABC from her election campaign – unless it can prove it will “treat (her) fairly.”
“I want truthful, honest reporting from the media,” she said.
“You will have access to me … the public must know that we are going to answer the questions for the public, but with truth and honesty, and that’s all I expect.”
“From its chairman down, the ABC has proven itself to be completely in denial about its profoundly transparent political bias and the activists in its ranks.
“Yet they think of themselves as a pillar of democracy. The arrogance is stunning in its scope. It is partly for this reason I have – at times – refused ABC interviews.”
It was quite the telling off.
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Hanson cracked it when pushed too far, threatening a journo with a ‘time out’
Much like the ‘extra challenges’ teacher in Jonah from Tonga, Hanson finally exploded when asked about the employment of her daughter, Lee Hanson, by NSW One Nation senator Sean Bell.
The senator told Guardian Australia reporter Sarah Martin she would no longer grant her interviews.
“You’ve got this obsession with constantly trying to pull down myself, my party, or Mrs (Gina) Rinehart,” Hanson said.
“I’ll answer you this question today, but I’m telling you now, don’t come near me for an interview in future, because 25 of your articles … it’s constantly bashing One Nation.”
Hanson accused Martin’s reporting on One Nation of being “lies” and defended her daughter’s appointment.
“Her abilities, her skills in HR, her abilities in working for the Tasmania University for eight years, and she was head of a department down there. So my daughter is very capable of doing it.”
Pauline Hanson and the Australian media
After more than three decades of wrangling with the Australian press, Hanson has recently experienced a few notable exchanges – one of which happened last week at Perth airport.
Pauline Hanson publicly snapped at a reporter who asked her a seemingly innocent question as she landed in Perth via a Virgin Airlines flight.
Referring to the Senator’s recent access to a new private jet that mining tycoon Gina Rinehart had gifted, the reporter questioned why Hanson had flown on a public airline.
“Why didn’t you fly Gina’s jet?’’ the reporter from Nine News asked.
“Did you fly cattle class?”
Mediaweek has contacted Nine for comment. Another masthead has reported that the journalist’s name is Sophie Fenna.
Hanson was visibly irritated by the questions. Her chief of staff, James Ashby, who was recording the exchange, zoomed in on the reporter’s seemingly satisfied smile.
Ashby is heard muttering, “What a stupid question,” before Hanson snapped, “I’m not answering those stupid questions. Get some credibility about you as a journalist and learn respect as well.”
Although the exchange may not seem flattering to Hanson, she proudly posted a video of the moment on Instagram on Wednesday night.
She captioned it: “Have a listen to these disrespectful questions asked by this Channel Nine reporter when I came off the Virgin flight to Perth.
“This is why mainstream media have lost much of the respect from the public.”
And so has Hanson; a fact which has never been clearer than at her first appearance at the National Press Club.
Main image: Pauline Hanson at the National Press Club. Image: The Australian