Key facts
- Pauline Hanson called paid domestic violence leave "ridiculous" and a "holiday."
- She suggested domestic violence issues take police away from "real crime."
- Hanson stated the family law system is "broken" and favors women.
- She claimed domestic violence incidents consume approximately 75% of police officers' time.
- Hanson's remarks resurfaced after she was criticized for calling domestic violence a "two-way street."
Pauline Hanson, leader of the One Nation party, has drawn criticism for comments made in a November 2025 podcast interview where she described paid leave for domestic violence victims as "ridiculous" and suggested that these issues divert police resources from addressing "real crime." Hanson, a senator for over three decades, argued that advancements in women's rights within the family law system have made it "broken," now favoring women and "suppressing the males."
In the podcast, which focuses on fathers' experiences in family court, Hanson stated that the introduction of 10 days of paid family violence leave was "ridiculous," implying it could be misused. She also claimed that domestic violence incidents consume approximately 75% of police officers' time, leading to "real crime" being overlooked. These remarks have resurfaced as Hanson faces backlash for previously calling domestic violence a "two-way street."
Hanson has defended her statements, accusing the media and the Labor party of misrepresenting her words and taking them out of context. Her chief of staff, James Ashby, explained that Hanson's intention was to highlight that domestic violence can originate from both men and women, and that safety is paramount. However, Sex Discrimination Commissioner Anna Cody has condemned Hanson's comments as "harmful, wrong, and dangerous," emphasizing that violence is a choice and the responsibility lies solely with the perpetrator.
This is not the first time Hanson has courted controversy regarding domestic violence and the family court system. In 2019, she initiated a controversial inquiry into the family court, which women's groups warned could become a platform for men's rights activists. At that time, she also claimed women fabricated domestic violence complaints to gain advantages in court, a notion widely discredited by studies but prevalent among men's rights groups. In 2017, Hanson had also stated in the Senate that her sons had faced "unwarranted" domestic violence claims.