Pauline Hanson has launched a fierce counterattack against Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, with her "Fire the Liar" campaign racing towards a $1.1 million target on its first day. The anti-Albanese revenge campaign raised over a million dollars in a single day, using crowdfunding tactics she previously labelled 'disgusting'.
Campaign Details
The One Nation leader launched the "fire the liar" push for campaign funds on Wednesday morning in response to Labor's "stop One Nation, fund the fight" donation drive. By 7pm on Wednesday, the campaign site recorded $1,005,910 in donations. Ms Hanson's drive had raked in more than half its $1.1 million goal by just after midday.
"As of lunchtime today One Nation's 'Fire the Liar' campaign has burst past $500,000 in grass-roots donations from Australians on its way to the $1 million target," the party's leader wrote on X.
Hanson's Accusations
Ms Hanson accused Anthony Albanese of lying about his tax ambitions, ISIS brides, immigration, and a infamous stage "fall" in launching the campaign earlier in the day. "Albo and his MPs lie and cheat Aussies out of home ownership, a decent standard of living and a comfortable retirement. One Nation has proven we can win lower house seats – so it's time to target Labor-held seats," she wrote in a social media post.
Albanese's Response
Mr Albanese said he was not concerned about the development, addressing a press conference on Wednesday morning. "I'll let Pauline Hanson engage in negative activity. What I'm doing here is actually doing something real for people, and that's the difference … promoting division takes the country nowhere," he said.
Labor's Initial Campaign
The Labor Party at the beginning of the month urged supporters to "chip in" $27 in a modest effort to "prevent One Nation from turning polling momentum into seats". The ads, carried across social media, directed users to a webpage titled "Stop One Nation". They have been running across Meta platforms since June 1 and have reached tens of thousands of users. According to Meta's Ad Library, some boosted posts cost between $2,000 and $2,500 while reaching up to 80,000 users.
Hanson's Criticism
Speaking exclusively to SkyNews.com.au, Ms Hanson described the Labor campaign as "absolutely disgusting". "I can tell you there are 28 million Australians in this country, poor Australians, and we have a Prime Minister on over $600,000 a year. He has how many properties, and he is asking the average Australian to donate to his party?" she said. She said the government had lost credibility with voters and should not be asking for financial support while people struggle with cost-of-living pressures. "Labor has lied. They've cheated and they have brought in policies that have made life worse for Australians. Go and ask what the Labor Party makes, what they earn, and leave the Australian people alone."
Broader Context
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has previously linked the trend to economic anxiety, using the phrase: "It's the economy, stupid." "To paraphrase, it's the economy, stupid. It's always the economy that sets the parameters for debate," Mr Albanese said on Monday. He also argued the rise of populist parties reflected broader financial stress, while pointing to government measures aimed at easing pressure on households. On Wednesday, he acknowledged broader public dissatisfaction with the political mainstream, but said that frustration was a global issue. "Quite clearly, right around the world... There is some frustration with the system and whether the system is working for people. That's something that we're very conscious of. It's not enough to identify an issue. What you've got to do is identify a solution."
Polling Data
According to the latest Sky News Pulse / YouGov poll, One Nation has become the most popular political party in the country. Ms Hanson's party led the primary vote for the first time in history at 29 per cent – a 23-point increase from the 2025 federal election. Labor sank to its lowest-ever result of 26 per cent, down nine per cent from the election, but remained ahead of the Coalition on 20 per cent.
