Pauline Hanson has defended her decision to bar several media organisations, including the ABC and The Guardian, from attending One Nation events, accusing the outlets of biased reporting.
The comments came on Monday as Hanson unveiled One Nation’s Victorian election candidates and was asked about press freedom following questions on the party’s policies and polling.
Hanson said the ABC and The Guardian had been refused entry because she was “not putting up with their rubbish”, adding: “I’m not putting up with their spin, their lies, whatsoever. I want truth and honesty. You get it from me, I expect it back from the media.”
The media ban also extended to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
Hanson has had several public disputes with both the ABC and The Guardian in recent years.
She has also previously said she would remove public funding from the ABC and turn it into a user-pays service.
Asked whether all media should be allowed to attend political events “in a democracy”, Hanson stood by her decision, saying: “I’m sorry, (but) that democracy doesn’t happen on the ABC at all. And I’m sick of it. It’s not fair and just in its reporting.”
She added: “So if you want to criticise and have a go at me (for) not putting the truth across, you’re not giving me the truth of democracy either. And therefore, no, I’m not going to have them.”
Hanson said she was no longer willing to tolerate what she described as “gotcha moments”, arguing the ABC had not given her the same fair treatment she believed she had shown the media.
During the press conference, One Nation’s Victorian president and newly appointed state leader Warren Pickering said the party welcomed scrutiny of its candidates but would not accept false claims.
“We expect and invite a healthy amount of scrutiny of our candidates and our policy positions,” he said.
“However, any latent character assassination attempts based on fabrications of our candidates will be met with swift legal action.”
When News24 host Chris Kenny asked whether excluding the ABC could limit the party’s message, Hanson replied: “We’ve got Rebel News here, I’m happy with them.”
One Nation also announced several Victorian election candidates, including former Liberal member Colleen Harkin, Please Explain cartoon creator Mark Nicholson, former police officer and Daniel Andrews protection team member Mark McKenzie, and current One Nation MP Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell.
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