Guardian Australia has uncovered recent comments by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and Senator Malcolm Roberts that sharply criticize Australia's family law system, with Hanson dismissing paid domestic violence leave as 'ridiculous' and Roberts labeling the family court a 'slaughterhouse of the nation'.
Hanson's Remarks on Domestic Violence Leave
In a January 2025 interview on the podcast 'Unemployable Media', Hanson stated that employers should not be responsible for providing paid domestic violence leave. 'Nobody in Australia would say domestic violence isn't a horrible thing, but you've got 10 days,' the host began, before Hanson interjected: 'It should not be tied up in your employment. Your employer should not be responsible.'
This follows a 2021 interview on the 'Dad Talk Today' podcast where Hanson called paid domestic violence leave 'domestic violence holiday leave' and suggested it was taking police away from 'real crime'. She also criticized domestic violence support groups for focusing on women, saying: 'I'm sick of these feminists who are trying to take over this whole thing ... I'm sick and tired of hearing that men are the only perpetrators and they're denied the right to see their children.'
Roberts' 'Slaughterhouse' Comment
Senator Malcolm Roberts, in a May 2025 interview with the right-wing podcast 'Cafe Locked Out', described the family law system as 'the slaughterhouse of the nation' and claimed it is 'set up to divide, set up to make money for lawyers, set up to smash the family.'
These comments add to a pattern of criticism from One Nation regarding family law and domestic violence. Last week, Hanson faced backlash after a 4BC radio interview where she said family violence was 'wrong' but 'also a two-way street'. She later claimed her comments were taken 'out of context'.
Context and Responses
The federal Labor government legislated 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave in 2022, replacing five days of unpaid leave. The cost is borne by employers. Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek noted that only 'a tiny number of people' use the leave, but 'they use it to get medical help, report to police, move to a safer home or go to court'. ACTU President Michele O'Neil called the scheme 'an essential lifeline available to workers facing some horrifically dangerous situations'.
One Nation and Hanson's office did not respond to requests for comment. The newly unearthed comments highlight the party's ongoing criticism of the family law system and domestic violence supports.
