‘Wind it back’: Pauline Hanson takes aim at child support and DV ‘holiday’ leave

Pauline Hanson labelled paid family and domestic violence leave a “holiday”, described it as a “scam” that encouraged false claims and argued child support had become a “cash cow” in another broadside against Australia’s family violence laws.

The One Nation leader made the comments late last year on the Broken Fathers podcast, hosted by Jared “Purcy” Purcell, during a discussion about fathers’ rights, child custody and the family court system.

The previously unreported remarks, which resurfaced after Hanson this week declared domestic violence was “a two-way street”, included claims that protections had been “abused”, police spent too much time on family violence instead of “real crime” and that men were perennially disadvantaged by the family law system.

Hanson, 72, has faced intense scrutiny in the past six weeks after her party’s stunning rise in the polls this year and a controversial, wide-ranging policy speech at the National Press Club in June. She has long campaigned for sweeping family law changes, including abolishing the Family Court.

In the podcast, she argued child support had encouraged custody disputes.

“I believe that you’ve got to wind back a lot of issues to do with the family law court … Go after the child support. A lot of people see it as a cash cow,” she said, questioning whether payments were always spent on children.

“I reckon you actually rein in child support … that would sort of put a lot of people back in their box.”

She also criticised the policing of domestic violence, claiming officers were being diverted from more serious offending.

“Domestic violence takes up about 75 per cent of police officers’ time now,” Hanson said. “That’s why we’re not dealing with real crime out there. The whole thing needs to be wound back.”

Asked by Purcell whether the family court favoured women, Hanson replied: “Of course it is.”

She blamed feminist groups and governments for creating a system that “is favouring women”, arguing parliament had become dominated by “too many woke people”.

Sex Discrimination Commissioner Dr Anna Cody and National Children’s Commissioner Deb Tsorbaris rejected Hanson’s “two-way street” comments on Thursday.

Cody said any suggestion victim-survivors shared responsibility for abuse was “harmful, wrong and dangerous”, adding that leaving a violent relationship was often one of the most dangerous times for women and children.

Tsorbaris said children affected by family violence were too often overlooked and warned families seeking safety should be “supported rather than judged”. The commissioners said financial hardship could place pressure on families, but “violence is a choice – and blame rests entirely with the person who commits it”.

In the November podcast, Hanson suggested some domestic violence killings could be linked to the frustration of men over family breakdowns.

“Why is there murders in domestic violence? Is it because, you know, the sheer frustration that people are having? Is it through jealousy that they can’t, you know, see their children?”

She argued restrictions on contact between parents and children should require evidence of physical abuse.

Hanson, who found herself a single mother in her early 30s, has said she was a victim of domestic violence. Her campaign to reform the Family Court was in part influenced after her son, Adam, pleaded guilty in 2016 to breaching a domestic violence order.

Hanson also questioned the breadth of Australia’s domestic violence laws, arguing behaviours such as sending text messages to ask about children or limiting household spending could be interpreted as abuse.

“What people don’t understand is … they think domestic violence is, you’ve gone and bashed your wife,” she said before listing examples, including husbands saying: “You can’t buy shoes … we’ve got to watch the money because we’ve got to buy the groceries and pay the rent.”

She later argued similar controlling behaviour by women towards men – such as not allowing them to go to the pub or fishing – should also be considered domestic violence.

The podcast’s host, a former Australian Border Force officer, last year received a nine-month good behaviour bond after pleading guilty to offences uncovered by a National Anti-Corruption Commission investigation.

The One Nation leader also attacked paid family and domestic violence leave for victim-survivors.

“The governments have made it easier for marriage breakups,” she said, listing legal assistance, financial support payments and “domestic violence holiday leave”.

“I’m totally against it because this is an incentive to actually go out there and make false allegations until you prove to me that your allegations are true.”

She questioned government crisis payments for victim-survivors, asking: “Who’s to say it’s not a scam?”

Hanson also claimed men were unfairly treated after relationship breakdowns, saying they were routinely forced from the family home while women received financial assistance to “start up a new life”.

She argued assets accumulated before marriage, including superannuation, should generally remain with the original owner after separation. She also claimed false allegations were widespread and called for stronger perjury laws.

Asked by Purcell whether she thought domestic violence laws were being used as a legal weapon, she replied: “Yes, I do. Most definitely it is. And that’s why the false allegations. We’ve allowed it to go on and fester.”

She also argued domestic violence orders could unfairly cost people their jobs, claiming workers in occupations requiring security clearances or licences could lose their employment as a result.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

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