Parliament House Cancels One Nation Film Screening
Senator Pauline Hanson has unleashed a furious attack on Parliament House, accusing officials of censorship after they cancelled the scheduled screening of a trailer for her party's new film. The event, which was set to take place at Parliament House on Tuesday, was scrapped at the last minute, a move Hanson labelled as a 'betrayal of free speech'.
The trailer for 'A Super Progressive Movie', a cartoon based on Hanson's animated web series that parodies federal politics, was due to be shown. The film features caricatures of prominent politicians including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, and Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe.
Last-Minute Cancellation Sparks Outrage
Hanson revealed that the screening was cancelled with just a few hours' notice, despite the event having been booked since October 16. 'It was only on the day we were going to screen it that Parliament House cancelled the event,' she explained. The outspoken senator strongly suspects the timing was deliberate, stating they left it until the last minute to maximise inconvenience for her and her supporters, many of whom had travelled from across Australia to Canberra.
In a scathing rebuke, Hanson claimed the decision undermined democratic principles. 'A Super Progressive Movie has been cancelled by a super-progressive Parliament House which – shockingly – doesn't understand one of the most basic principles of democracy,' she asserted. Hanson defended the potentially offensive nature of the content, stating, 'Offending people is an inevitable consequence of free speech, a fundamental principle of Australian democracy. No-one has a right to be unoffended.'
Defiance and Political Context
Despite the cancellation, Hanson was defiant. She announced that the event had been moved to an alternative offsite location and would proceed as planned. 'Luckily, Parliament House is powerless to stop us from screening the trailer elsewhere,' she said. 'We won't allow Parliament's fear of free speech to stop us from exercising it.'
This incident follows closely on the heels of Hanson's recent suspension from Parliament for seven days, after she staged a protest in the chamber by wearing a burqa. That stunt was widely condemned by both sides of politics, with Independent Senator Fatima Payman warning it could incite abuse against women wearing hijabs.
Despite the controversies, One Nation's popularity has surged, with recent polls showing the party holds between 15 to 20 per cent of the national vote. Hanson confirmed on Tuesday she would contest the next election, due in 2028. In a significant development, rumours are circulating that former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, who recently announced he would not contest his seat, could defect to One Nation as early as Friday. The two were seen sharing a steak lunch in Parliament House to discuss the potential move.
