Pauline Hanson, leader of One Nation, has recently unveiled her strategy to tackle the ongoing cost of living and housing crises. However, her address was abruptly halted due to her surpassing the allotted speaking duration.
Hanson’s Budget speech this week comes amidst the uproar over the Albanese administration’s unfulfilled pledges regarding adjustments to negative gearing and capital gains tax. In her address, she criticized these proposed changes, arguing that they would stifle economic growth, elevate rents, and decrease the availability of housing.
“Housing has become a national crisis ever since Labor came into power, and I emphasize ‘crisis’,” Hanson remarked. She attributed over 40 percent of the expenses involved in constructing a new home to government-imposed taxes and excessive compliance costs.
Hanson announced that One Nation intends to implement a different strategy. She proposed eliminating the GST on building materials for homes valued up to $1 million for the next five years, aiming to alleviate some of the financial burdens on home builders.
Additionally, Hanson called for the government to impose restrictions on migration, suggesting that it could play a role in addressing the housing shortage.
Hanson said the government needed to have a limit on migration.
‘Rapid population growth without matching supply is a recipe for declining living standards. This is not about blaming migrants. It’s about recognising limits,’ she said.
She pointed to Canada as an example of how cuts to migration would help Aussies renting.
Pauline Hanson came out swinging in her Budget speech this week
Hanson attacked the Albanese government’s immigration policies
‘Canada cut migration sharply from 2024 and has now enjoyed 18 straight months of falling rents and easing house prices, something we have strongly advocated for,’ Hanson claimed.
Hanson also promised that One Nation would treat all Australians equally.
‘We will abolish divisive cultural departments and race-based programs that divide Australians by skin colour or ancestry,’ Hanson said.
‘Every Australian will be treated as equal under one flag and one culture. Help will be given on the basis of genuine need, not race.
‘No more special privileges – equal rights for all, and special rights for none. There will be no more taxpayer-funded welcome to country rituals. Unity builds strength, division destroys it.’
Hanson turned her attention to energy, arguing Australia must strengthen its domestic resilience, including fuel reserves, reliable energy systems, food and water security, and sovereign industrial capabilities.
‘The current liquid fuel crisis has not only exposed our domestic unpreparedness but signalled to adversaries how vulnerable we would be in a conflict,’ she said.
‘One Nation will cut the red, green and black tape that is strangling projects and fast-track major approvals, especially energy projects, to a maximum of six months.’
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One Nation will end taxpayer-funded welcome to country ceremonies
One Nation will slash the GST to zero on building materials for homes up to a value of $1million for the next five years
Hanson also said her party would ‘ditch net zero’ and exit the Paris Agreement while axing the climate change department in an effort to lower power bills.
‘We will back coal and gas and support bringing nuclear power online to bring down prices, restore reliability and guarantee national energy security,’ she said.
Hanson said she would next week introduce a gas policy that will underwrite Australia’s sovereign resource assets ‘for decades to come’.
‘A strong nation leverages its natural advantages. It does not demonise them,’ Hanson said.
But as she began reading out her closing remarks around the 15-minute mark, Hanson was cut short, with the Senate adjourning for the evening before the One Nation leader was granted leave to finish.
Hanson told reporters in Canberra this week that the centrepiece of her economic pitch would be to let couples with childrensplit their incomes for tax purposes, which could save families thousands of dollars a year.
‘Income splitting means those people who stay home with their children aren’t penalised,’ Hanson said. ‘Why should we force parents into a system where both have to work just to make ends meet?’
For example, if one parent earns $120,000 and the other earns nothing, the family could save about $9,500 a year in tax by being treated as two people earning $60,000 each.
Hanson said she would ‘bring back coal’ in her speech
If one parent earns $120,000 and the other earns $30,000, they would save about $2,000 a year if their income was split evenly to $75,000 each for tax purposes.
Hanson on Thursday also accused the Coalition of borrowing ideas from One Nation.
‘While they’ve been telling everyone that One Nation has no policies, they’ve been reading them very carefully because they’re desperate for some good ideas,’ she said in a statement.
