politics

The single most disturbing thing about Pauline Hanson's latest interview.

Over the weekend, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson outlined what Australia would look like should she ever become Prime Minister.

Predictably, some of her ideas were slightly terrifying (she’s keen to abolish the GST, so see ya Medicare!), some were just nonsensical (she’d like to launch a royal commission into Islam. Just a really expensive, taxpayer-funded commission to check things out…), but there was one comment that stood out as far more problematic and worrying than the rest.

pauline hanson prime minister
Image via ABC.

Speaking to the Sunday Mail about her politics, the 62-year-old Senator claimed, “I don’t change my tune, whichever way the polls are going. If you look at what I said 20 years ago, it’s exactly what I’m saying today."

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Hanson was clearly proud in saying that. Proud to say that despite two decades having passed, she still holds the same views that she did when she was first elected to the federal parliament of Australia.

The big problem with that, though, is that the country has changed.

20 years ago, the majority of the country didn't yet support a national apology to the stolen generation. There weren't even any indigenous MPs or senators in the parliament back then.

They didn't see the importance in supporting marriage equality or climate change science.

Mamamia Out Loud weighs in on the controversial Pauline Hanson bag. Post continues.  

It's unlikely that a female prime minister would have been elected at the time. Nor would we have seen major parties take active steps to attempt to create a greater gender balance among parliamentarians.

It's human nature for people to change their minds. It's a politician's job to ensure that if those changes are felt by the majority of their electorate, they are reflected in parliament.

One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson.

By refusing change, Hanson is essentially refusing to move One Nation or Australia forward. She's forgotten that as a senator, she works for her electorate, not the other way around. And as the head of a party, she works for the each and every one of her voters.

And while it's true some of Hanson's supporters may not be in favour of major social progression, she needs to realise that a huge number of Australians are. And if she's hoping to become Prime Minister one day, it might be time to stop living in the past and listen to what the polls have to say.