Pauline Hanson Removed as Headline Speaker at Women's Real Estate Conference
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has been unceremoniously dumped as the keynote speaker at a prominent women property influencers' convention after her scheduled appearance sparked widespread online mockery and prompted industry members to resign in protest. The Real Estate Institute of New South Wales has issued a grovelling apology letter to its members regarding the Women in Real Estate conference, which was scheduled to feature Hanson at Sydney's prestigious Shangri-La Hotel this April.
Expensive Event Promises Shattered
The $545 per person 'WIRE' event had been promoted as a gathering of 'the forces influencing the future of real estate' with Hanson's lecture on housing and national policy described as 'a moment you'll want to be in the room for, so you won't want to miss it.' The invitation sent to female real estate industry figures prominently displayed the words 'Introducing Senator Pauline Hanson' above a photograph of the beaming politician alongside the aspirational tagline 'Connected. Empowered. Inspired.'
The REINSW originally announced Hanson would headline their annual event on February 23, exactly one week after her controversial statement that there are 'no good Muslims.' Just four days later, on February 27, the Institute performed a complete reversal and cancelled her appearance. Their email to members admitted they had been inundated with complaints, stating 'a significant number ... have told us they cannot separate Senator Hanson's story of resilience from her policies.'
Promotional Materials and Immediate Backlash
This reference directly addressed the original WIRE promotional poster that had touted Hanson as 'an enduring presence in national politics' with 'sustained electoral relevance' and 'a central force... who has shaped conversation across the country.' The backlash was swift and decisive, with REINSW Regional Advisory Committee official Marc Minor posting his immediate resignation on Facebook, declaring that his industry should remain 'inclusive, respectful and forward-looking.'
On social media platform Reddit, users mercilessly mocked the real estate industry for considering Hanson, with one commenter noting 'when you think real estate agents can't get a worse reputation?' Another poster quipped, 'It's the "let's pretend housing unaffordability is all the fault of migrants not property speculators" show. Pauline says: Hands off our tax rorts!'
Conference Lineup and Executive Response
Hanson was originally scheduled to lead a lineup that included 'mentalist and mindset speaker' Andy Nunn, PropTech CEO Rebecca Moroney, Nitschke Real Estate CEO Michael Nitschke, and Domain Vice President Belinda Sinclair. The conference promotional materials had praised Pauline Hanson's 'ability to mobilise voter support' and her 'agenda-setting voice in public debate.'
In his apologetic letter, REINSW CEO Tim McKibbin - who describes himself on his LinkedIn profile as a 'Real Estate Thought Leader' - wrote that 'over the years, WIRE has featured presentations from a wide variety of speakers.' He continued, 'Including people from different sectors and different backgrounds with different perspectives, who have talked about their lives, the challenges and adversity they have faced, their successes, their motivation, and more.'
'Consistent with this theme we asked Senator Hanson to tell her story, given her four decades in politics and being in the public eye,' McKibbin explained. 'Irrespective of her politics, she has faced many challenges and her resilience is clear. Nonetheless, Senator Hanson is a politician, and her policies cover a variety of issues.'
Widespread Condemnation of Controversial Remarks
The governing New South Wales real estate body received a torrent of protests from members before being forced to cancel Hanson's appearance. McKibbin's letter acknowledged, 'A significant number of members have told us they cannot separate Senator Hanson's story of resilience from her policies. We understand and respect those views and consequently, Senator Hanson will no longer be speaking at WIRE.'
Hanson has faced criticism even from conservative political figures since her February 16 appearance on Sky News, where she claimed there were no good Muslims and asserted that those who practise the religion 'hate Westerners.' During the broadcast, she challenged, 'You say, oh, well, there's good Muslims out there. Well, I'm sorry, how can you tell me there are good Muslims?'
These comments have received widespread condemnation across the political spectrum. One of Australia's most prominent conservative voices, Nationals Senator Matt Canavan, described Hanson's remark as 'divisive, inflammatory' and 'un-Australian,' highlighting the depth of opposition to her statements even within right-leaning political circles.
