NRL grand final 2017: Pauline Hanson, Tony Abbott don’t Macklemore to play pre-game show

AS controversy rages over Macklemore’s upcoming performance at the NRL grand final, Pauline Hanson says she doesn’t know who he is — but would prefer Daryl Braithwaite.

AS controversy rages over Macklemore’s upcoming performance at the NRL grand final, Pauline Hanson says she doesn’t know who he is — but would prefer Daryl Braithwaite.

The US rapper has been accused of “politicising” the game just by performing one of his biggest hits but he has responded to the controversy, saying he has received hate from “angry, old white dudes”.

Macklemore plans to perform his ARIA chart topping song Same Love as part of his set during the grand final’s pre-game show. The hit song is unashamedly about marriage equality and its performance comes in the midst of Australia’s heated debate on the same issue.

.@macklemore talks about his upcoming performance at Australia’s @NRL and the controversy about him performing “Same Love” #TheCruzShow pic.twitter.com/CaAQ6iEh6i

— The Cruz Show (@TheCruzShow) September 27, 2017

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson admitted she didn’t know who the international singer was, but criticised the politicising of sport.

“I think people have had it up to here with the same sex marriage issue,” she told the Seven Network.

“We’ve got so many other great artists in this country that we could actually put up there.” Senator Hanson says she would rather see Australian artists John Farnham or Daryl Braithwaite perform at the final.

Pauline Hanson has criticised the “politicising of sport”. Picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

Pauline Hanson would prefer John Farnham.

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott yesterday tweeted his support for a Change.org petition demanding Macklemore’s “LGBTIQ anthem” not be played at the grand final.

But Attorney-General George Brandis hit back at the criticism, saying Same Love was one of the rapper’s chart-topping songs and popular artists regularly performed their biggest hits at sporting finals.

“For Mr Abbott and anyone else to say that it should be banned I think is a bizarre thing to say. I thought Mr Abbott believed in freedom of speech,” he said.

Footy fans shouldn't be subjected to a politicised grand final. Sport is sport! https://t.co/1uRh4eZ61Z

— Tony Abbott (@TonyAbbottMHR) September 27, 2017

Ahead of flying out to Sydney, Macklemore addressed the issue when interviewed by US radio show The Cruz Show.

“I’m actually going out to Australia to perform at kind of the Super Bowl of their rugby league,” the rapper said.

“And it’s interesting actually cause I’m gonna play Same Love and they’re going through trying to legalise same-sex marriage in Australia.

“So I’m getting a lot of tweets from angry old white dudes in Australia. Today I think there is a petition to ban me from playing.

“It’s interesting times in Australia and I’m heading on a flight over there later tonight.”

The interviewer then says Macklemore needs to “go harder” in response to the criticism.

“I’m gonna go harder,” he said.

Originally published as NRL grand final 2017: Pauline Hanson, Tony Abbott don’t Macklemore to play pre-game show