‘Stupid questions’: Footage emerges of Pauline Hanson snapping at reporter’s question on private jet, as One Nation fundraiser smashes target

Pauline Hanson’s One Nation fundraiser pledging to “fire” Anthony Albanese has blitzed its $1m fundraising goal, as footage of the firebrand senator’s clash with a reporter emerges. In its fundraising drive - titled “FIRE THE LIAR!” - the right-wing populist party claims Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had “lied” about the Voice to Parliament, stage 3 tax cuts, the so-called ISIS brides, and energy prices. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has shared footage of her snapping back at a reporter who asked her about whether she flew into Perth on her private jet. It urges supporters to donate to “One Nation’s quest” and claims Mr Albanese “thinks $27 buys him the right to silence us”. “Billboards, TV, Radio, that’s how we reach Australians that Albanese ignores,” the fundraiser continues. By 9pm Wednesday, the fundraiser had raised more than $1.3m of its new $1.5m goal. Senator Hanson boasted about the success of her campaign raising more than $500,000 on her Facebook page earlier in the day. Later in the night, she also shared footage of a tense encounter with a Channel 9 reporter after touching down at Perth Airport. Sophie Fenna, the broadcaster’s Perth-based reporter, asked Senator Hanson why she didn’t fly in on “Gina’s jet” - referring to the private $1m jet gifted to the senator by mining magnate Gina Rinehart. The question earned an exasperated sigh from Senator Hanson. “Did you fly cattle class (economy)?” Ms Fenna asks later in the video. Senator Hanson proceeds not to answer any of the questions and instead addresses Ms Fenna, saying she is “not answering your stupid questions”. “Get some credibility about you as a journalist, and learn respect as well,” Senator Hanson continues. Senator Hanson accompanied her post with the caption: “Have a listen to these disrespectful questions asked by this Channel Nine reporter when I came off the Virgin flight to Perth. This is why mainstream media have lost much of the respect from the public.” ‘A lot of pressure’: Joyce claim on lower house future One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce says he is “getting a lot of pressure” to remain in the lower house as the right-wing populist party surges in the polls. The New England MP had pledged to leave the lower house for the Senate when he ditched the Nationals Party for One Nation late last year. However, Mr Joyce has since showed signs of shifting on that decision in recent months as One Nation secured successive polling firsts. Speaking to Sky News on Wednesday, Mr Joyce said he was “trying to be straight with people” about his intentions after admitting he was being urged “100 per cent, everywhere I go” in his electorate to run again in the lower house. “I am getting a lot of pressure from my seat to run again for New England, yes,” he said. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has also teased a potential pivot to the lower house off the back of the party’s polling. As a matter of convention, Australian prime ministers are picked by the majority party in the lower house, not the upper house, which is the Senate. Speculation around that move swirled after One Nation announced its intention to open another electorate office in Yeppoon in the Nationals-held Queensland seat of Capricornia. Fundraiser raises almost $1m Earlier, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation raised more than a quarter of a million dollars to “FIRE THE LIAR!” less than a day after launching the bizarre fundraiser. “Albo thinks $27 buys him the right to silence us. We think Australians deserve a real choice,” the One Nation website stated. “Donate to help One Nation’s quest to FIRE THE LIAR! “Billboards, TV, Radio, that’s how we reach Australians that Albanese ignores. Help our candidates and donate before June 30, 2026.” By 5.30pm, the campaign had raised more than $830,000, according to the website. The right-wing populist party claimed Anthony Albanese had “lied” about the Voice to Parliament, stage 3 tax cuts, the so-called ISIS brides, and energy prices. It also pointed to Mr Albanese’s backflip on changes to the capital gains tax discount and negative gearing over which Labor has faced continued pressure since the May budget. The campaign has raised almost $270,000 as of 10.30am on Wednesday. Contributors were able to choose from either a one-off or a monthly donation of $29, $60, $120, $500, $1000 or $2000. In an email to supporters, the party noted One Nation had proven “we can win lower house seats”. “So, it's time to target Labor-held seats,” it stated. However, addressing the media, Mr Albanese on Wednesday claimed Labor was “now the only party that is in the mainstream of Australian politics that is engaged with serious solutions going forward”, having lashed the Coalition over its immigration policy. Mr Albanese sought to downplay the One Nation threat in Labor-held seats. Asked about Labor voters turning to the populist party, Mr Albanese said “assuming that’s the case … polls, what they do is they state a view at a period of time, not necessarily when people vote”. “Quite clearly, right around the world, there is some frustration with the system and whether the system is working for people,” he said. “That’s something that we’re very conscious of,” he continued, noting it was “not enough to identify an issue”. “When people make their assessment of voting, it’s up to them to determine what, why they vote, but they’ll determine it based upon who is in a position to actually provide solutions for challenges which are always there,” he said. Earlier, Mr Albanese told ABC Radio Melbourne it was “not racist to have a discussion about migration”. “It should be one, though, that’s based upon fact rather than trying to stir up emotion and to stir up division,” he said, noting a surge following Covid. ‘Disrespect’ Earlier, veteran MP Bob Katter has revealed he is “not interested” in finding out more about Senator Hanson despite the looming threat of One Nation clinching seats in central Queensland at the next federal election. Senator Hanson earlier this year inquired about opening a second taxpayer-funded electorate office in Yeppoon, north of Rockhampton, in the Nationals-held seat of Capricornia. Capricornia neighbours the Kennedy electorate, which has been held by Mr Katter for more than three decades. While Senator Hanson has confirmed she is weighing up a lower house run, there is no indication of which electorate she would choose to contest. But she has confirmed her ambitions to lead the country as prime minister, saying she has the “ability” to do the job. The office of the prime minister is traditionally filled by a member of the House of Representatives who leads the party that has won a majority in the lower house to form government. Bob Katter says he has no interest in Pauline Hanson despite One Nation's looming threat in central Queensland. But Mr Katter, appearing in a social media video, declined to say whether he would support Senator Hanson taking up the top job. “Oh yes, she’s that lady … no disrespect to her but I’m not interested in finding out much about her,” he said when asked about the One Nation leader’s prime ministerial ambitions. Senator Hanson moving her office to Yeppoon could have set up a lower house contest with incumbent Nationals MP Michelle Landry. But a One Nation spokesperson confirmed to NewsWire last month that Senator Hanson had inquired about an additional office, not to move her office from Brisbane. The spokesperson said Senator Hanson was looking to establish senator offices in regional Australia to improve access and encouraged other senators to do the same. They said the cost to taxpayers would be factored into the decision. One Nation has edged past Labor to become the most popular political party in Australia according to recent polls. A May Redbridge poll’s worst-case scenario shows the Coalition wiped out in Queensland where they would retain zero seats if a federal election were held imminently, with the Nationals wiped out of the lower house entirely. The same modelling shows One Nation would win between 46 to 59 seats.