Bill Shorten would be our worst PM, says Pauline Hanson

Pauline Hanson has vowed to do everything she can to keep Bill Shorten out of The Lodge.

One Nation’s Pauline Hanson and Peter Georgiou yesterday. Picture: Kym Smith

Pauline Hanson has vowed to do everything she can to keep Bill Shorten out of The Lodge after Labor yesterday accelerated its “Get Pauline” strategy, questioning her understanding of the tax system and launching robo-calls targeting her in the Queensland seat of Longman.

The One Nation leader launched a blistering attack on the Opposition Leader yesterday, declaring, “I think he’d be the worst bloody prime minister we’ve ever had”, and warning him he would have to go through her if he wanted to push legislation through the Senate.

Senator Hanson yesterday fell victim to a robo-call assault ­orchestrated by the opposition in Longman, a key battleground for Mr Shorten in the five Super Saturday by-elections on July 28.

The robo-calls, received by voters across southeast Queensland, blasted Senator Hanson for siding with the government “to give another tax cut to the top end of town”, as she prepared to vote for Malcolm Turnbull’s $144 billion income tax cuts.

“She’s even giving herself a massive tax cut,” the Labor call said. “But it’s not too late to stop her. Pauline is in Canberra right now, the final vote could happen at any minute. Press 1 to be connected directly to Pauline’s office to tell her yourself: stop selling Queenslanders out.”

Senator Hanson hit back, voicing her own robo-call attacking Labor. “The Labor Party is at it again telling lies,” she said. “In the Senate today I voted for battlers — low and middle-income earners — to receive a tax cut.”

Speaking to The Australian, Senator Hanson accused Queensland Labor senators Murray Watt and Anthony Chisholm of “spearheading the campaign to destroy One Nation”.

Senator Hanson — whose party’s preferences helped Labor’s Susan Lamb win Longman at the 2016 federal election, ousting unpopular Liberal National Party MP Wyatt Roy — said she would put Labor second last on One ­Nation’s how-to-vote cards, followed by the Greens.

“The Greens will always be the last, and as far as I am concerned. Labor will be just above the Greens,” Senator Hanson told The Australian.

Earlier, opposition Treasury spokesman Chris Bowen attacked Senator Hanson for her claim on Wednesday that she would not get a tax cut under the government’s plan.

In fact, she would get $135-a-year for the first four years and — if she retained her seat in the Senate — $2025 a year in 2022-23 and 2023-24, and $7225 a year from 2024-25.

“Maybe she does not understand how the marginal tax system works in Australia,” Mr Bowen said.

Senator Watt said Labor would target traditional Labor voters who had shifted their support to One Nation, by “highlighting the difference between what she says and what she does”.

“It’s about keeping her ­accountable for how she actually votes when she comes to Canberra,” Senator Watt said.

He noted One Nation had sided with the government on 100 per cent of Senate votes this year.

Senator Hanson claimed the Labor campaign was based on misrepresenting One Nation ­policies.

“They are spreading lies,” Senator Hanson said. “This is really a compliment. It shows they are ­really in fear of me and One ­Nation, because we are having an impact on their vote.”

After helping deliver the ­government’s income tax cuts, Senator Hanson declared it was “a great day for every worker in ­Australia”.

Mr Shorten branded her a “puppet” of the government, saying she and the government had “shafted 10 million working Australians” who would get a better tax cut under Labor.

“Today the Prime Minister and his government have demonstrated their complete contempt for working and middle-class Australians, and Senator Hanson and her One Nation party, such as it ­remains, have sold out 1.9 million working people in Queensland simply to do the bidding of the LNP,” the Labor leader said.

“And today the government and their puppets have locked in tax rates costing over $140bn.”

Senator Hanson said Labor “just don’t get it”.

“They have no heart for the people of Australia,” she said. “They don’t understand how tough they are doing it.”