Minister tells Hanson to look in mirror over political violence claim

Attorney-General says Hanson should reflect on behaviour after political violence claim In short: Attorney-General Michelle Rowland has called on Senator Pauline Hanson to reflect on her own behaviour after she accused the prime minister of inciting political violence. Anthony Albanese labelled the One Nation leader "dangerous, divisive and downright dishonest" at a Labor state conference in Queensland on Sunday. What's next? Politically motivated violence, threats and harassment are on the rise in Australia, with ASIO boss Mike Burgess previously warning it was "flashing red". Attorney-General Michelle Rowland has called on Pauline Hanson to reflect on her own behaviour and her party's ideology after the One Nation leader accused the prime minister of inciting political violence. On Monday, Senator Hanson said Anthony Albanese had "crossed a line" during a Queensland Labor conference speech in which he labelled hard-right political parties "dangerous, divisive and downright dishonest". "We simply must defeat them. We owe it to history," Mr Albanese said. "They'll say anything and do anything to win votes. Bend any facts. Peddle misinformation and disinformation. Turn Australian against Australian. Parties like One Nation have no serious answers to our problems." Senator Hanson on social media said the prime minister's speech went too far and the comments incited political violence. She later told the ABC Mr Albanese's treatment of her made her feel unsafe. "What he's doing is putting me in a position of threats against me now that I have to have federal police protection whenever I'm out here, meeting people," she said. "It's a shame. He's caused this. I don't want it. I want to feel safe in my own country." While Ms Rowland said it was becoming increasingly dangerous to be a high-profile female politician in Australia, she said Senator Hanson should reflect on how her own rhetoric was "encouraging" extreme behaviour. "I don't wish any politician any ill will, irrespective of their political persuasion, but I think sometimes when comments like this are made, one needs to look at oneself and one's behaviour and the kinds of standards that they accept into their own party and their own ideology," she said. "When you go on and you entertain some of the individuals whom she has been entertaining, who are not only convicted criminals, when you admit that you have a party that has been infiltrated by extremists and neo-Nazis, this is exactly the kind of danger to which politicians are being put in this country." In a post to social media on Tuesday, Senator Hanson labelled Ms Rowland's comments slanderous and demanded an apology. "No minister, especially the Attorney-General and first law officer of the country, should suggest there is any justification for threats against Australians because of the political party they support," she wrote. Asked about the prime minister's comments, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said Mr Albanese must also be held accountable for his own "divisive and dangerous" behaviour. "He divided Australians by race on the Voice, and what he has failed to do on many things, including with Islamic extremism, is he has failed to deal with dangerous situations," he said. Hanson claim disingenuous, expert says Associate professor Josh Roose, a leading expert on political violence and extremism at Deakin University, said alleging Mr Albanese's speech was particularly dangerous or divisive was a "step too far" but acknowledged threats against politicians were at an "all-time high." "There should be zero tolerance for threats or violence against elected politicians," he said. "However, weaponising statements that clearly aren't necessarily intended to incite violence and claiming victimhood … is disingenuous." He said Senator Hanson appeared to be taking the opportunity to "claim victimhood" which could then be used as "political capital" and said the senator was in no position to take a higher moral ground. "She has been well known for her political stunts over a prolonged period of time, not least of which wearing a burqa in parliament, which could be said was nothing other than an attempt to raise the political temperature," he said. "Her rhetoric is divisive and designed to speak directly to her potential constituency." In 2024, the senator was found to have breached the Racial Discrimination Act because of a social media post telling Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi to "piss off back to Pakistan". One Nation MP Malcolm Roberts had also made a series of false and divisive claims, including that the COVID-19 vaccination dramatically increased miscarriage rates. He has been criticised for sharing on his social media an image of an antisemitic mural, which he described as "the most powerful pic I've ever seen". Last weekend, Ms Hanson put a nail into a prop coffin labelled net zero while attending a farmer rally in regional Victoria and later buried it. The Australian Federal Police would not disclose the specifics of Senator Hanson's protection arrangement or whether there had been additional threats to her safety. "The AFP does not comment on the protection of Parliamentarians and High Office Holders," a spokeswoman said in a statement. Rising threats against politicians Politically motivated violence, threats and harassment are on the rise in Australia, with ASIO boss Mike Burgess previously warning it is "flashing red". A 2025 survey of federal politicians and their staff found 85 per cent had to deal with constituents behaving in a violent, threatening or volatile manner. Last year, the AFP set up specialised strike teams to target extremist activity, including the sharp rise in political violence. AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett said threats against parliamentarians had doubled over the past three years. The AFP spent a record $523 million in protecting politicians and government buildings in 2024-25. "Through the election period that was an enormous exercise for the AFP and a huge responsibility to protect parliamentarians and that was a success," she said in October. "But the volume of threats remains concerning." In 2024, police thwarted an alleged attempt to kill a NSW Labor MP, while other politicians who receive frequent threats had seen their security increased. In June, Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie was identified for security upgrades at his home and electorate office. Mr Albanese has repeatedly called for politicians and the public to "turn the temperature down".