Pauline Hanson's One Nation: A Disturbing Vision for Australia

For months, voters have been telling anyone who’ll listen that they want Pauline Hanson.

Pollsters, journalists and the (current) political establishment have all heard how the major parties are letting down the country and One Nation is the answer.

On Wednesday, in a wild show at the National Press Club in Canberra, voters got a good taste of just what Hansonism has to offer.

No longer claiming to be a political outsider, Hanson explained just what One Nation would do to remake the country. It’s an ugly picture, but one that will play perfectly with some of the voters who want to burn the political system down.

Unbridled and unapologetic, she railed against multiculturalism, Islam, transgender rights, climate change action and public media, insisting her resurgent party be taken seriously as a contender to win government at the next election.

Hanson says Australia should be a monocultural society, wants to slash migration, backs nuclear energy and says the government should double down on coal and gas.

She wants to shut down SBS and gut the ABC, likens transgender rights to Islamic extremism, believes paid parental leave should be scaled back or abolished, and demands workers’ rights be cut to help small business. Some of Australia’s most important partners, including Britain, Canada, France and Germany, are “S-holes” because of supposed mass migration and social unrest.

In government, One Nation would cut the climate change and Indigenous affairs departments, overrule frank and fearless advice from the public service and apply heavy-handed regulation to AI.

“In many respects, I haven’t changed, and neither has One Nation,” Hanson told the packed club. “Thankfully, Australians have woken up, for which I am grateful.”

Her nearly hour-long speech and combative answers was classic One Nation. Declaring it was the job of the Canberra press gallery to scrutinise her and her party colleagues, Hanson even claimed she welcomed the attention.

But as soon as Guardian Australia’s senior correspondent Sarah Martin asked about her daughter, Lee Hanson, and her job with a New South Wales One Nation senator while working in Tasmania, Hanson went feral.

She threatened Martin would be banned from press conferences and interviews, accusing her of having an “obsession” with One Nation, billionaire patron Gina Rinehart and Hanson herself.

Answering a question from the SBS political editor, Anna Henderson, a few minutes later, Hanson gladly pointed out Henderson would be out of a job if One Nation came to power.

The rise and rise of Donald Trump has shown just how dangerous a demagogue populist leader can be inside a political system distrusted by its citizens. Hanson presents a similar threat to Australian politics.

Hers would be a government based on scant policy detail, hardline ideological bedrocks and punching down on minorities or anyone with an alternative view.

Far from being the free speech warrior she claims, Hanson’s brand of political debate requires acquiescence from journalists and distorted respect which is never reciprocated.

If One Nation maintains its position in the polls all the way to the next federal election, more scrutiny and answers will be required from Hanson and her party colleagues.

It looks like we’re in for a disturbing ride.