The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is investigating a protest incident that occurred during Senator Pauline Hanson's address at the National Press Club, after activist group GetUp claimed responsibility for the stunt.
Incident Details
About 20 minutes into Hanson's controversial speech on Wednesday, a banner was unfurled behind her. The banner featured an edited black-and-white image of the One Nation leader with the words: "I opposed a pay rise for workers, while I took a $100,000 pay rise for myself."
The National Press Club confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that it had referred the incident to police after determining that none of its own staff were involved. ACT Policing received a complaint regarding "alleged unauthorised access and interference with equipment at a building at Barton" and conducted forensic testing at the scene.
GetUp's Involvement
GetUp sent an email at 1:57 pm with the subject line "Hanson NPC Address: It Was Us." The group's chief executive, Paul Ferris, stated that the stunt aimed to draw attention to Hanson's voting record on cost-of-living measures.
"Pauline Hanson has built her entire brand on being for the battlers. But her record tells a different story. One Nation has consistently opposed wage rises, affordable childcare, increases to the aged pension, and housing affordability measures," Ferris said. "We thought the occasion deserved some honesty. So we provided it."
Press Club Response
The Press Club revealed that two individuals entered the building without permission on Tuesday afternoon and installed a separate drop-down screen in front of the media wall. A third person present during the speech activated a remote device to unfurl the banner.
David Sharaz, a former journalist now working for GetUp and husband of Brittany Higgins, was reportedly at the event and filmed the incident on his phone before leaving abruptly. The Press Club noted that this is likely part of the AFP investigation.
During the event, Press Club chief executive Maurice Reilly walked on stage with another staff member to remove the banner, stating, "We're not doing stunts, all right … we're at the press club."
Political Reactions
Nationals-turned-One-Nation MP Barnaby Joyce alleged the incident could have been an "inside job," saying, "I hope they find the person. Someone obviously knows how to operate it. It's an inside job."
The Press Club confirmed that the stunt was carried out by third parties and extended an apology to Hanson. "No club personnel or club contractors had any involvement in this matter," the club's statement said. The club will consider legal options against the perpetrators, including recovering costs for damage to the media wall.
