One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has described paid leave for those experiencing family and domestic violence as “ridiculous”, and suggested the issue is diverting police from “real crime”, calling for the family law system to be “wound back”.
Podcast comments resurface amid backlash
In an unearthed interview on the Broken Fathers podcast in November 2025, first reported by Nine newspapers, Hanson said the advancements of women’s rights in the family law system had become “broken” because they favoured women and were now “suppressing the males all the time”.
The comments resurfaced as Hanson faced criticism over her recent suggestion that domestic violence is a “two-way street”. The senator has responded by accusing the media and the Labor party of “twisting” her words.
Hanson: domestic violence leave is a ‘holiday’
On the podcast, which focuses on fathers’ perspectives in family court matters, Hanson criticised the introduction of 10 days of paid domestic violence leave, labelling it a “holiday”.
“Ten days a year, they brought that in, so everyone’s, you know, claiming domestic violence and everything like that,” she said. “It’s ridiculous.”
Ten days of paid family violence leave was introduced during the Albanese government’s first term. Under a program introduced in 2024, victim-survivors can access up to $5,000 in individualised financial support when leaving a violent relationship.
Claim: 75% of police time spent on domestic violence
During the 70-minute podcast, Hanson repeatedly referred to the system as “broken” and in need of an overhaul, pointing to “feminist” and women’s groups pushing their agenda to favour mothers.
“I do think it is broken because we’ve got too many woke people in parliament now, and it’s pushing women’s rights,” Hanson said. “But with … women’s rights, you’ve got to have women’s responsibilities.”
The 72-year-old senator also suggested the majority of police work is dominated by family violence incidents while “real crime” is overlooked. “Do you know that domestic violence takes up about 75% of police officers’ time now?” she said. “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.”
ACTU and sex discrimination commissioner condemn remarks
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) condemned Hanson’s comments as “shockingly out of touch”. ACTU president Michele O’Neil described the remarks as “reckless and dangerous”, stating that people who use the leave “are not on a holiday, far from it”.
“Unions campaigned and won paid family and domestic violence leave because survivors told us they needed the time, so they didn’t have to choose between going to work to put food on the table or being able to make the break to safety,” O’Neil said.
Sex Discrimination Commissioner Anna Cody also condemned the comments as “harmful, wrong, and dangerous”. In a statement on Thursday, she said: “Domestic violence is never the responsibility of the person experiencing it. Violence is a choice – and blame rests entirely with the person who commits it.”
Hanson’s history with family court and men’s rights
In 2019, Hanson secured a controversial inquiry into the family court system, which women’s groups warned could become a platform for men’s rights activists who believe the court system is biased against fathers. At the time, she claimed women were fabricating family violence complaints to keep their children – a claim widely discredited in multiple studies.
In 2017, Hanson told the Senate her sons had domestic violence claims made against them “that were not warranted” and said broadly “I feel for the men out there that are going through this, because it’s unjustified”.
In Australia, domestic and family violence counselling is available from Full Stop Australia on 1800 385 578.
