Pauline Hanson has drawn comparisons between herself and former US president Donald Trump in a fiery speech attacking Labor Party president Wayne Swan, accusing him of being out of touch with working-class Australians.
Hanson's Trump comparison
In a speech to the One Nation party's national conference in Brisbane on Saturday, Hanson said she and Trump were both "political outsiders" who had been "attacked by the establishment" for speaking the truth. She claimed Swan, a former federal treasurer, was part of a "political elite" that had abandoned ordinary Australians.
"Wayne Swan is the ultimate insider," Hanson said. "He's been in the Labor Party for decades, and what has he done for working people? He's part of the problem, not the solution. Just like the establishment in America tried to destroy Donald Trump, they're trying to destroy me."
Attack on Labor's economic record
Hanson also criticised Labor's economic policies under Swan, who was treasurer during the global financial crisis. She claimed the party had "sold out" Australian workers by supporting free trade agreements and immigration policies that she said suppressed wages.
"Wayne Swan presided over a period where Labor opened the floodgates to foreign workers and sent Australian jobs offshore," Hanson said. "The working class has been betrayed by the Labor Party, and now they're trying to silence anyone who speaks up for them."
Swan, who is also the national president of the Labor Party, has not yet responded to Hanson's comments. However, Labor sources have dismissed the attack as a "desperate attempt" by Hanson to remain relevant.
Hanson's political strategy
Political analysts say Hanson's Trump comparison is part of a broader strategy to position One Nation as an anti-establishment force in Australian politics. The party has struggled to maintain its electoral momentum in recent years, with some polls suggesting its support has fallen below 5%.
"Hanson is trying to tap into the same populist sentiment that propelled Trump to the White House," said Dr. Sarah Johnson, a political scientist at the University of Sydney. "By aligning herself with Trump, she's hoping to rally disaffected voters who feel left behind by the major parties."
However, Johnson noted that the comparison was "flawed" given the vast differences between the Australian and US political systems. "Trump was able to win the presidency by exploiting the electoral college and a divided opposition. In Australia, the political landscape is very different, and Hanson's message may not resonate as strongly."
Labor's response
The Labor Party has condemned Hanson's comments, accusing her of "dividing Australians" for political gain. A Labor spokesperson said: "Pauline Hanson's comparison to Donald Trump is laughable. Unlike Trump, she has never held executive power and never will. Her divisive rhetoric is a threat to social cohesion and should be rejected by all Australians."
The Greens have also criticised Hanson, with Senator Sarah Hanson-Young calling her speech a "desperate bid for attention". "Pauline Hanson is a political has-been who is trying to stay relevant by copying the playbook of a failed US president," she said.
