Updated ,first published
Pauline Hanson has boasted about the rapid success of a fundraising blitz, with One Nation claiming to have raised more than $945,000 in donations on the day it launched a “Fire the Liar” website and fundraising drive.
The veteran politician, who spent close to 30 years on the fringes of Australian politics before forcing herself into the political mainstream this year, is also criss-crossing the country to attend intimate fundraisers. Some of them are facilitated or hosted by Australia’s richest person, mining billionaire Gina Rinehart.
Those fundraisers include a sold-out event in Perth on Wednesday evening with Hanson as well as One Nation senator Tyron Whitten; the party’s WA state leader, Rod Caddies; and state MP Phil Scott “for a special Sundowner”.
“This is your chance to meet like-minded patriots, hear Senator Hanson address the Western Australian crowd, and connect with your One Nation representatives,” a blurb for the event says.
On Friday, Hanson and Barnaby Joyce will be the star attractions at “an evening for Victoria”, a cocktail party and fundraiser at the Moonee Ponds venue Casa Giorgio that promises to “bring together business leaders, community figures and supporters seeking a stronger direction for Victoria”.
The Fire the Liar website was launched by One Nation at 6.04am on Wednesday with a target of raising $1 million. By 6.30pm, the party claimed to have raised $946,099.
The website accuses the prime minister of lying to Australians about immigration, the changes made to the stage 3 tax cuts last term, the Voice to parliament, changes to negative gearing, capital gains tax and more.
In an interview on Perth radio station 6PR on Wednesday, Hanson said she was amazed by the huge response and avalanche of donations to the party after the Fire the Liar website was launched.
Since the start of the year, One Nation’s primary vote has surged past the Coalition in published opinion polls, including the Resolve Political Monitor, which reported on May 17 that support for Labor was at 29 per cent while One Nation was at 24 per cent and the LNP had a primary vote of 23 per cent.
“I think we’re all absolutely blown away by the support that’s coming in for One Nation,” Hanson said.
“It clearly tells you people aren’t against One Nation … they want the Labor Party gone … and that’s why people are donating to the party, to give us a war chest to actually fight the Labor Party.”
Hanson promised that the money would be used wisely and would not be wasted.
In Melbourne, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was asked about One Nation’s new fundraising website.
“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,” he said.
Hanson’s dramatic success in recent fundraising and her party’s growing support have prompted fresh scrutiny of how the party raises funds and what it uses the money for.
Hanson’s close relationship with Rinehart appears to be at odds with her reputation as a politician who stands up for ordinary Australians who are struggling with the cost of living.
A story in The Guardian last week revealed that Hanson and Joyce had billed taxpayers more than $3000 to attend several fundraisers on board the luxury cruise ship The World, hosted by Rinehart.
In March, declarations published in the Parliamentary Expenses Authority revealed that Hanson charged taxpayers almost $9000 for a chartered flight last October to the opening of a building at a private agricultural college funded by the mining billionaire.
Rinehart was a long-time donor to the Coalition parties but has switched her financial support to One Nation.
Both Opposition Leader Angus Taylor and the Liberal Party’s newly installed president, Tony Abbott, have backed the idea of the Coalition swapping preferences at the next election in order to force Labor out of office.
At a book launch in Washington this week, Abbott said “a lack of conviction and a lack of political competence brought [the Liberals] undone”, followed by a “dreadful year” in which the Coalition broke up twice.
“In a democracy, if the people you vote for consistently let you down, you’ll end up voting for someone else. It’s a political marketplace,” Abbott said.
“If you, historically, bought Fords, but your Fords keep breaking down, sooner or later you won’t buy Fords any more. And if you’ve never liked General Motors, well, you might start buying Honda or Toyota or something, maybe even BYD – although thankfully Americans don’t let them in.”
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James Massola is chief political commentator. He was previously national affairs editor and South-East Asia correspondent. He has won Quill and Kennedy awards and been a Walkley finalist. Connect securely on Signal @jamesmassola.01Connect via X or email.
Emily Kaine is a national news blogger at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
Sarah McPhee is the Overnight Homepage Editor for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.