Pauline Hanson called domestic violence leave 'ridiculous' and a distraction from 'real crime' in unearthed interview

Australian Senator Pauline Hanson is facing renewed scrutiny over past comments suggesting domestic violence is a 'two-way street' and that paid leave for victims is 'ridiculous.' In an unearthed interview from November 2025 on the 'Broken Fathers' podcast, the One Nation leader argued that advancements in women's rights within the family law system have gone too far, creating a system that is 'broken' and unfairly 'suppressing the males all the time.'

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Ten days a year, they brought that in, so everyone’s, you know, claiming domestic violence and everything like that. It’s ridiculous.

Hanson described the introduction of 10 days of paid family violence leave as "ridiculous," likening it to a "holiday." She suggested that the prevalence of domestic violence claims might be inflated, diverting police attention from what she termed 'real crime.' "Do you know that domestic violence takes up about 75% of police officers’ time now?" Hanson asked in the podcast. "And that's all they're dealing with. And the police have had a gutful of it... That's why we're not dealing with real crime out there. The whole thing needs to be wound back."

These comments resurfaced as Hanson defended recent remarks where she described domestic violence as a "two-way street." She accused the media and the Labor party of "twisting" her words. During a radio interview on Wednesday, Hanson stated, "It is wrong but it’s also a two-way street. I’m not saying that it’s just men, women can lose their cool as well. Society is under so much pressure... Everyone is under so much pressure and it’s really hard."

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Do you know that domestic violence takes up about 75% of police officers’ time now? And that’s all they’re dealing with. And the police have had a gutful of it. They’re sick and tired of it because of the reports that they have to make, and that’s why we’re not dealing with real crime out there. The whole thing needs to be wound back.

The 10 days of paid family violence leave were introduced by the Albanese government in 2024, offering victim-survivors up to $5,000 in financial support. Hanson, a prominent political figure for three decades, repeatedly referred to the family law system as 'broken' during the 70-minute podcast, attributing the issues to "woke people in parliament" pushing agendas that favor mothers in family violence situations. She asserted that while women have rights, they must also have responsibilities.

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It is wrong but it’s also a two-way street. I’m not saying that it’s just men, women can lose their cool as well. Society is under so much pressure … Everyone is under so much pressure and it’s really hard.