One Nation Leader Responds, Says Media Twisted Her Comments on Domestic Violence

‘There is a concerted effort by some in the media to constantly take my comments out of context,’ Pauline Hanson said.

One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson speaks with a voter in Secret Harbour, Western Australia. Courtesy of One Nation

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has accused Australian media of selectively quoting a discussion she had on domestic violence.

The conservative leader has faced pressure for supposedly condoning domestic violence by saying incidents were a “two-way street” that could also involve women abusing men.

That comment sparked a mass media frenzy with several outlets publishing articles and contacting campaigners against domestic violence for comment.

Hanson told 4BC radio on July 22 in Brisbane that domestic violence “is wrong, but it’s also a two-way street.”

“I’m not saying that it’s just men, women can lose their cool as well … Everyone is under so much pressure and it’s really hard. I don’t think we communicate enough with each other,” Hanson said.

“People need to be able to communicate more with each other instead of sitting on their phones ... we’ve lost the communication because technology has taken that away from us to be able to communicate and tell each other how we feel,” the senator said.

Hanson said she had personally been a victim of domestic violence and that people who were in a home that didn’t feel safe, should leave and not “put up with it.”

Claims of Victim-Shaming

Those comments spurred a series of articles claiming Hanson was belittling domestic violence survivors or victim-shaming.

In one article, Labor Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek was quoted in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation saying: “Saying women should just leave completely misses the point. It’s the most dangerous time.”

While the Sex Discrimination Commissioner Anna Cody said she was sorry Hanson had experienced domestic violence but was critical of her message.

“Any suggestion that victim-survivors share the blame is harmful, wrong, and dangerous,” she told the multicultural broadcaster SBS.

“Domestic violence is never the responsibility of the person experiencing it. Just this month, two women and two girls have been allegedly murdered.”

Hanson Says Media Deliberately Misquoting

In response to the overall backlash, Hanson said there was a “concerted effort” by some media to misquote her.

“There is a concerted effort by some in the media to constantly take my comments out of context,” she wrote on X.

“The whole interview was put on the 4BC website for everyone to hear, including journalists,” she said.

“But some within rival media decided to use only a few quotes and made out that I downplayed domestic violence. That’s untrue, hence why it’s important that people hear the whole interview.”

Hanson also said that while some reporters may not share her political beliefs, they need to allow the public to make up their own mind.

“The demise of journalistic integrity is what’s killing trust and revenue at many of these newspapers and free to air networks,” she said.

“Together with AI, this is why The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age [newspapers] have cut another 30 jobs over the last 24 hours.

“I’m growing less tolerant of many journalists within the mainstream media and so too are the public.”

MP Scrutinised for Disciplining Dog on Air

During a National Press Club speech last month, Hanson pledged to disband the taxpayer-funded SBS and severely downsize the ABC.

Her party has also faced scrutiny for One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce yelling at his border collie cross, Stella, during a live interview with the ABC’s 7.30 program.

Joyce yelled “sit down” at Stella, who was off-camera.

In response to the scrutiny, Hanson announced the release of a One Nation range of dog leads.