Western Australian Senator Fatima Payman has launched a sharp rebuke of Pauline Hanson, saying the One Nation leader should consider leaving Australia if she is unhappy with the country.
Speaking to Seven News, Payman said political rhetoric targeting migrants and minority communities was having damaging consequences, particularly for Muslim Australians.
“My office has had to cop so much hatred and discrimination and just vile content, and that’s because certain politicians choose to continue that rhetoric.”
In a pointed swipe at Hanson’s long-held position that migrants dissatisfied with Australia should leave, Payman said the same logic could apply to the veteran Queensland senator.
“I’d tell Pauline Hanson that if she doesn’t like how things are here in Australia then she can really pack her bags and go to the US and continue being best buds with Trump.”
In 2024, Hanson escalated tensions by calling for a formal investigation into the citizenship status of Payman. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Hanson raised concerns that Payman’s dual citizenship could render her ineligible to serve in the federal Parliament under Section 44 of the Constitution, which prohibits certain dual nationals from holding office.
The exchange comes as Pauline Hanson’s One Nation enjoys a resurgence in opinion polls, pushing Hanson back into the centre of national political debate.
Hanson, 71, has defended her stance on immigration, recently revealing she has spent more than $1 million fighting a legal battle over comments telling immigrants unhappy in Australia to leave. She says she is still awaiting the outcome of an appeal and has argued there is a political double standard in how such remarks are treated.
With One Nation’s support climbing, Hanson has been vocal about the party’s ambitions. She has forecast that One Nation could one day hold the balance of power — or even be part of government — positioning the party as a growing force on the conservative side of politics.
At the same time, she has hinted at thinking about the party’s long-term future beyond her leadership, saying she hopes to eventually hand it over to someone with the “dedication and passion” to continue its agenda.
“I’m getting near the end of my life. It’s not about me anymore.”
In an interview with Sky News Australia, Pauline Hanson said she would not retreat from her political stance, declaring she “won’t take a backwards step” from her principles and would “never apologise for putting Australians first”.
The One Nation leader said critics among “elites, major party politicians and academics” may be outraged and attempt to silence her movement, but insisted Pauline Hanson’s One Nation would not back down.
“This is a democracy, and the people will have their final say at the election on whether they want One Nation in Parliament,” she said, urging voters to consider carefully where they place their vote.
“You know exactly where I stand. Australia and Australians first.”
Hanson’s political career began after she was disendorsed by the Liberal Party in the mid-1990s, a rejection that led to the formation of One Nation and cemented her reputation as a populist voice on immigration and national identity.
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