Pauline Hanson Clarifies Stance on Paid Parental Leave

Pauline Hanson has clarified she would not seek to cut government-funded paid parental leave if One Nation were in power, after opening the door to a wind-back at her National Press Club address last week.

The One Nation leader told the Press Club it was "fair enough" if women were not paid when they took time off, asking: "Why should business pay them if they are not at work?"

Senator Hanson opposed the extension of government-supported paid parental leave to 26 weeks, saying in a 2017 speech during that debate that she was opposed to a "welfare handout mentality" and had been able to raise children as a single mother with "no assistance, no help from anyone".

But this morning she told Channel 7 her comments on paid parental leave had been taken out of context.

"There's no way, shape or form I am actually saying to get rid of it, I have seen it's been very beneficial to women to get back into the workforce and yes, they do need it when they're at home and having their children," Senator Hanson said.

"That was taken completely out of context. There are businesses that cannot afford it, it's OK for government, taxpayers pay for it, but there are businesses, smaller business that cannot afford it."

The senator said she supported 26 weeks of taxpayer-funded parental leave.

Senator Hanson maintained that paid parental leave was onerous to business, suggesting she would not force businesses to pay parental leave.

"A lot of business, I can tell you, if you force them to actually pay for paid maternity leave, will go under, they won't be able to survive, they are really struggling,"she said.

"That's an [enterprise bargaining agreement] an employer can have with an employee if they want to come to that agreement, but I will never force it on businesses."

There is no legal requirement to pay parental leave, and neither Labor nor the Coalition have a policy to force businesses to pay the entitlement.

Families can access up to 26 weeks of government-funded paid parental leave at minimum wage rates if their employer does not offer it as an incentive.

Labor and its union allies have ratcheted up a campaign against Senator Hanson's track record on workplace relations, seeking to paint her as opposed to workers based on her previous votes opposing "same job, same pay" laws, and laws to criminalise wage theft.

The government seized on her comments last week that workers were, "on their phones, they don't work, they don't turn up, they actually are lazy", and her suggestion that entitlements for employees should be wound back.

"One Nation is joined at the hip with the Liberals in wanting to wind back Australia's workplace laws, cut workers' wages and abolish paid parental leave." Labor frontbencher Murray Watt said during Senate Question Time yesterday.

"One Nation even seemed to think that all Australian workers are lazy; they want to make it easier to sack workers.

"So much for standing up for battlers!"

Hanson on 'same page' as Trump on policy

With One Nation riding high in the polls, its leader is managing expectations as questions turn to how she would handle foreign relations with allies and trading partners like the United States and China.

Following a Lowy Institute report that found Australia's trust in the US was at its lowest ebb, with just 31 per cent of Australians believing the US would "act responsibly in the world", Senator Hanson dodged questions over whether she trusted President Donald Trump.

"It's not up to me whether I trust him or not, it's up to the American people who voted him in. And he'll be facing mid-term elections towards the end of this year, it's up to the Americans to decide," Senator Hanson said.

"Don't jump ahead, don't put the cart before the horse. There is a lot of work to be done here before the next election, to say I would be working with him, we don't know that."

But the One Nation leader did say she backed the president's policies.

"He does get a lot of support from the Americans. His policies he has introduced has done a lot in supporting American people, like the immigration issue, cleaning the swamp out, the waste of money that is happening, and getting rid of gender dysphoria and transgender men and women in sports," Senator Hanson said.

"So I am all for all that, that's my policies, so why would I knock someone who is on the same page as me?"