Pauline Hanson's Solar Rebate Sparks Hypocrisy Claims Amid Renewables Criticism
One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson has accessed a taxpayer-funded rebate to install solar power on her Queensland home, despite her repeated public calls to end government subsidies for large-scale renewable energy projects. The revelation, uncovered through freedom of information laws, has ignited accusations of breathtaking hypocrisy from political opponents and transparency advocates.
Conservative MPs Benefit from Scheme They Criticise
Information released by the Clean Energy Regulator shows that Hanson is among three conservative federal politicians who have benefited from the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES). The scheme provides financial incentives for installing systems such as rooftop solar panels, solar batteries, solar water heaters, or air-sourced heat pumps. Nationals senator Matt Canavan and MP Kevin Hogan have also accessed the rebate, despite being vocal critics of government subsidies aimed at achieving net zero emissions.
Independent MP Zali Steggall, who has also used the SRES, condemned the stark contradiction in their actions. "The hypocrisy is breathtaking," Steggall stated. "If renewable energy is supposedly so harmful, why are these politicians lining up to benefit from it, and taking public subsidies in the process?"
One Nation's Defence and Policy Contradictions
A spokesperson for Hanson defended her actions, pointing to One Nation's energy policy released in December, which offers "in principle" support for the SRES. "One Nation and Senator Hanson support rooftop solar as one of the few ways households can act to reduce their energy bills," the spokesperson explained. "This wouldn't be necessary if Labor and Steggall's obsession with large-scale renewables wasn't impoverishing Australian households with record high electricity bills."
However, Hanson has previously criticised aspects of the SRES, specifically targeting the cheaper home batteries program run through the scheme. In a press release last year, she argued that "only One Nation would stop these sneaky takeovers in the name of net zero, and simply make sure you get the cheapest electricity possible whenever you turn on the lights." A party spokesperson declined to clarify whether their support for the SRES extends to the home battery program that Hanson has criticised.
How the Solar Rebate Scheme Operates
The SRES works by allowing those who install eligible systems to claim Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs), which act as a subsidy to reduce the upfront cost of installation. Most system owners assign the right to trade these STCs to an agent, typically the retailer, in exchange for a discount or delayed cash payment on their solar system. In 2025, 99.6% of STCs went to an agent rather than the system owner.
While the exact value of Hanson's subsidy remains unclear, as it varies based on system size and location, the average 10kw solar system installed in Queensland in 2025 would generate an estimated $2,760 rebate, based on an average STC price of $40. The Clean Energy Regulator's data shows that a small-scale certificate application was made for a residential property owned by Pauline Hanson in Queensland in April last year, lodged in her name and approved.
Other MPs' Involvement and Defences
Matt Canavan had an STC application approved in 2020, while Kevin Hogan had one approved for a property in his name in 2019. Moderate Liberal senator Andrew Bragg, a supporter of climate action, has also benefited from the scheme. Another 13 conservative critics subject to the freedom of information request were found not to have accessed the program.
Canavan, one of the Nationals' most strident critics of renewable subsidies, defended his use of the SRES, stating he was "not against renewable electricity or electric vehicles." He added, "But I do not think the government should be taking from the poor to pay rich people to have these things." Hogan, who has criticised net zero policies as "reckless," said he participated in "a very successful Coalition government policy" that helped with rooftop solar uptake, but expressed concerns about current subsidies.
Public Statements and Political Fallout
In a Facebook video last August titled "Debunking the anti renewables myth," Hanson revealed she had installed solar panels on her home, stating, "I am not anti-renewables. Actually I put panels on my roof at home this year, so I have put them on myself." She clarified her position by saying, "I am anti renewables and putting solar panels ... hundreds of thousands, or millions [of them], on agricultural land."
Despite this, Hanson has been a fierce critic of government subsidies for renewables, calling for them to be wound up in a Senate speech last year. "Billions of dollars of taxpayer subsidies for windfarms and solar panels over the past two decades have only resulted in massive increase in the cost of energy," she argued. The controversy highlights the ongoing political debate over energy policy, subsidies, and the alignment of public statements with personal actions among Australia's political leaders.
