One Nation to audit $2 million donations after PM casts doubt

One Nation will audit its donation campaign after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese cast doubt about whether Pauline Hanson has actually raised more than $2 million.

Pauline Hanson’s “Fire the Liar” campaign – which was launched in response to Labor’s ad calling for donations to fight against the rise of her party – soared past the $1 million goal yesterday and raised $1.6 million within a day.

It reached more than $2 million today, according to a live tracker on her website.

This morning, Albanese called for proof that Hanson had legitimately raised that amount in that time.

“Did she, though? Did she, though? Did she? What evidence is there?” he told reporters this morning.

“This is someone who got a plane worth more than that, given to her by Australia’s richest person, so that pales in insignificance with the size of a single donation, which was given, showing I think the interests that One Nation represent.”

The One Nation leader in April received a $2.1 million private plane and $2 million in cash Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart ahead of the Farrer by-election.

A One Nation source told nine.com.au this afternoon the party will request an independent “forensic investigation” into the donations to silence the doubt.

They claimed the party received donations from more than 28,000 people, with the average donation being $60 and the largest single donation being $15,000.

Hanson told supporters in Perth yesterday the major parties had underestimated One Nation and vowed to target Labor seats at the next federal election in 2028.

The latest Newspoll showed One Nation leading in the primary vote at 31 per cent, compared to Labor at 30 per cent and the Coalition at just 18 per cent.

Albanese is still ahead as the better prime minister over opposition leader Angus Taylor with 18 per cent uncommitted to either party leader.

Taylor has left the door open to working with One Nation to oust Labor, with Hanson similarly saying she would work with the Coalition in an informal agreement.

Liberal frontbencher and Taylor’s close confidant Tony Pasin told the Australian today the Coalition should work with One Nation to split seats across the country so they do not run candidates against each other at the election.

“We should work hand-in-glove to defeat Labor,” he said.

Taylor ruled out the plan this morning and told the ABC he would not divide up seats with One Nation.

“We won’t be doing that,” he said.

Albanese said the “extraordinary” statement from Pasin two years out from the next election showed the former mainstream Liberal Party had turned into a fringe party.

“That says it all about the way that the once mainstream Liberal Party has become just a fringe party, almost giving up two years before an election is held,” he said.

“We’re very confident that we’ll continue to put forward comprehensive policy plans.

“You need to govern a country in a way that looks after the full range of policy suites with solutions not just identifying problems, but importantly coming up with solutions.”