Pauline Hanson stands by her controversial remarks from years ago, asserting that she believes people’s sexual orientations should remain a private matter.
Her statements come on the heels of a fellow party member proclaiming that One Nation is among the most LGBTQ-friendly political groups in Australia.
During a noteworthy 1996 segment on 60 Minutes, the leader of the right-leaning party candidly expressed her disapproval of the annual LGBTIQ+ celebration by saying, “I don’t like it.”
At the time, she explained her disdain, stating, “I don’t like it because it’s promoting something… that is not natural.”
In the years following, her statement was immortalized by drag artist Pauline Pantsdown, who transformed it into a satirical dance track. This parody hit even secured a spot in the 1998 Triple J Hottest 100.
Three decades later, Senator Hanson said she acknowledged the economic benefit of the pride parade, adding that it was “acceptable” Australia had legalised gay marriage.
“I still don’t like the gay Mardi Gras, but that’s my opinion,” she told News24 on Sunday.
“Have I ever been to one? No. Do I intend to go? No, I don’t.
“I think your own, personal sexuality should be kept … behind closed doors. It’s no one’s business to do it out there with the gay Mardi Gras anywhere.
“I know it brings a lot of tourists to the country. I know it brings a lot of money. I know all this, but that’s my personal opinion. But anyway, good luck to them that they want to do that.”
Her comments follow revelations One Nation’s candidate for Western Australia’s upper house at the 2025 election, Parminder Singh, made several anti-gay comments in a video on social media.
Mr Singh, who was third on One Nation’s upper house ticket at the state election, has since been removed from the party’s website, after the video became public.
During the week, One Nation MP Barnaby distanced the party from its former candidate’s views, describing it as “one of the gayest parties in Australia”.
Senator Hanson also rejected Ms Singh’s comments, saying she never heard similar views from him when he was a candidate.
“That’s his personal thoughts and not my thoughts whatsoever,” she said.
Hanson defends inability to name world leaders
The firebrand politician also defended her inability to name the leaders of crucial allies and regional powers when questioned about her foreign policy credentials as a would-be prime minister.
In an earlier interview with News24, the One Nation leader said diplomacy with Australia’s neighbours would pose “no problem”, despite her notoriously using her maiden speech in 1996 to declare the nation was “in danger of being swamped by Asians”.
Asked if she could name the president of Indonesia or the prime minister of Japan, two major regional powers and key Australian trading partners, Senator Hanson said she couldn’t.
On Sunday, she said she would learn the names when it was necessary.
“I still haven’t looked up who the prime minister of Indonesia is because I don’t need to know … I’m not the foreign minister, I’m not the prime minister,” Senator Hanson said.
The One Nation leader also reiterated her party’s position that Australia’s net migration target should be 130,000 a year — a significant cut on current levels.
She suggested the reduction could come at the expense of international students, a major source of income for universities, describing the intake system as a “farce” and a “scam” providing a back door into the nation.
But she was adamant any cut to migration should not alter backpacker levels.
“We cannot stop those people coming in; if they did, the farmers would go under,” Senator Hanson said.
None of the major parties have outlined which visa categories should be cut to meet their reduced migration targets.