Hanson’s fundraising blitz raises more than $1 million on day of launch

Pauline Hanson has boasted about the rapid success of a fundraising blitz, with One Nation claiming to have raised more than $1 million in donations on the day it launched a “Fire the Liar” website and fundraising drive.

The veteran politician, who spent close to 30 years on the fringes of Australian politics before forcing herself into the political mainstream this year, is also criss-crossing the country to attend intimate fundraisers. Some of them are facilitated or hosted by Australia’s richest person, mining billionaire Gina Rinehart.

Those fundraisers include a sold-out event in Perth on Wednesday evening with Hanson as well as One Nation senator Tyron Whitten; the party’s WA state leader, Rod Caddies; and state MP Phil Scott “for a special Sundowner”.

“This is your chance to meet like-minded patriots, hear Senator Hanson address the Western Australian crowd, and connect with your One Nation representatives,” a blurb for the event says.

On Friday, Hanson and Barnaby Joyce will be the star attractions at “an evening for Victoria”, a cocktail party and fundraiser at the Moonee Ponds venue Casa Giorgio that promises to “bring together business leaders, community figures and supporters seeking a stronger direction for Victoria”.

The Fire the Liar website was launched by One Nation at 6.04am on Wednesday with a target of raising $1 million. By 8.41pm, the party claimed to have raised almost $1.3 million, with a new goal set for $1.5 million.

The website accuses the prime minister of lying to Australians about immigration, the changes made to the stage 3 tax cuts last term, the Voice to parliament, changes to negative gearing, capital gains tax and more.

In an interview on Perth radio station 6PR on Wednesday, Hanson said she was amazed by the huge response and avalanche of donations to the party after the Fire the Liar website was launched.

Since the start of the year, One Nation’s primary vote has surged past the Coalition in published opinion polls, including the Resolve Political Monitor, which reported on May 17 that support for Labor was at 29 per cent while One Nation was at 24 per cent and the LNP had a primary vote of 23 per cent.

“I think we’re all absolutely blown away by the support that’s coming in for One Nation,” Hanson said.

“It clearly tells you people aren’t against One Nation … they want the Labor Party gone ... and that’s why people are donating to the party, to give us a war chest to actually fight the Labor Party.”

Hanson promised that the money would be used wisely and would not be wasted.

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