Labor has dismissed One Nation’s recent fundraising success after the party claimed it raised nearly $2 million in just over a day for a “Fire the Liar” campaign targeting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
The fundraiser, launched at 6am on Wednesday, had raised more than $1.9 million by midday on Thursday, edging closer to its revised goal of $2.1 million, according to its website.
It was created in response to a Labor fundraising drive aimed at “stopping One Nation”, which was labelled “disgusting” by Pauline Hanson.
Speaking on Sunrise, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she was more concerned about One Nation’s policies than its fundraising efforts.
“I’m not so interested in One Nation’s fundraising,” she said.
“I’m interested in One Nation’s politics and One Nation’s policies, and the fact that they do look to provoke anger but they provide no solutions.
“What I’d say to Australians is, if you think you’re voting for One Nation for change, what’s actually going to happen is a vote for One Nation is a vote for the Liberals, and a vote for the Liberals is a vote for One Nation. That does not change.”
Wong said Labor would continue working to deliver real change in areas including Medicare, minimum wage, penalty rates protection and tax cuts, while building stronger international relationships to protect Australia’s security.
Albanese also questioned the legitimacy of the fundraising total when asked about the campaign.
“Did she though? Did she? What evidence is there?” he said.
One Nation doubled its fundraising target after reaching its original $1 million goal by 7pm on Wednesday.
The campaign website accuses Albanese of misleading Australians on issues including immigration, energy prices, Medicare and the repatriation of ISIS brides.
The fundraising blitz followed a Labor appeal urging supporters to donate $27 to help “prevent One Nation from turning polling momentum into seats”.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Party has denied any plan to work with One Nation to help remove Labor from government.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor rejected suggestions the party could do a deal with Pauline Hanson to avoid running competing candidates in select seats.
“No, there’s no plan to carve up seats. We won’t be doing that,” Taylor told ABC News Breakfast on Thursday.
“What we will be doing is focusing on a Labor government that’s taking this country in the wrong direction with higher taxes, with less houses, with immigration that has not been in line with our housing supply, and with an energy system that is broken.”
