The Grievance Industry: How One Nation profits from division while delivering nothing

Introduction: The Politics of Nothing

In June 2026, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson stood before the National Press Club and declared that Australia “cannot be a multicultural society” and “must be monocultural.” Australians, she insisted, “must live under the one cultural umbrella.”

It was vintage Hanson – a speech heavy on grievance, light on policy, and utterly disconnected from the reality of modern Australia. But it came with a new twist: One Nation is now polling above 20%, and Hanson herself has been named preferred prime minister in some polls.

How did a party with no coherent policies, a chaotic approach to governance, and a leader who attends only 12% of Senate estimates hearings become a serious political force? The answer lies in three things: money, grievance, and the politics of fear.

The Donors: Who Really Owns One Nation?

One Nation does not survive on membership fees or small donations. It survives on the generosity of a very small number of very wealthy individuals – and their interests are not those of ordinary Australians.

Gina Rinehart, Australia’s richest person, has gifted One Nation a $1.3 million Cirrus G7 private plane. The party has also received $2 million in cash donations from Rinehart associates: stockbroker Angus Aitken and his wife Sarah ($1 million), former Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles ($500,000), and geologist Ian Plimer ($500,000).

Treasurer Jim Chalmers put it bluntly: “Pauline Hanson is a wholly owned subsidiary of Gina Rinehart.”

But the financial entanglement goes deeper. She has billed taxpayers for trips to campaign alongside her daughter, who was employed as a senior adviser to a One Nation senator. And in March 2026, it was revealed Hanson charged taxpayers almost $9,000 for a chartered plane to attend an event honouring Gina Rinehart.

This is not grassroots politics. This is a wealth extraction operation disguised as a populist movement.

The Housing Policy That Wasn’t

One Nation’s housing policy is a case study in how not to govern. In June 2026, multiple One Nation MPs gave conflicting, chaotic interviews about the party’s plan to force foreign property owners to sell.

MP Barnaby Joyce told Sky News that permanent residents who were not citizens would also be forced to sell. “Become an Australian citizen, and that’s going to deal with the issue, right? Become an Australian citizen,” he said.

He later backtracked, confirming the policy did not apply to permanent residents. Senator Sean Bell could not explain what would happen if homes were not sold within the two-year timeframe. Radio host Mark Levy ended the interview early, calling it a “train wreck.”

Deputy Opposition Leader Jane Hume said: “It’s a slogan. It’s not a policy. It’s got no substance behind it.”

One Nation’s housing policy is not a solution to Australia’s housing crisis. It is a dog whistle – a policy designed to sound tough while delivering nothing, a slogan to stoke fear without offering any real answers.

The Attack on Multiculturalism: Fear as a Strategy

Hanson’s attack on multiculturalism is not new – it is the core of her political identity. In her National Press Club speech, she said: “We are a multiracial society, but we must be monocultural.” She vowed to shut down SBS, make the ABC subscription-only, and scrap the “climate change department” and the “Aboriginal department.”

She also returned to her favourite target: Muslims. Asked if Australia was in danger of being “swamped” by Muslim migrants, she replied: “Not if I’ve got any say in it.”

In February 2026, Hanson suggested there were “no good Muslims in Australia.” She later issued a partial apology but doubled down on her broader claims.

This is not leadership. It is fear-mongering – a cynical strategy to exploit anxiety for political gain.

The Israel Connection: A Foreign Policy for Donors

Hanson has consistently positioned herself as one of Australia’s most vocal defenders of Israel. In May 2024, she wore an Israeli-flag scarf in the Senate, which was ruled “unparliamentary.” She has backed the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism and criticised Australian governments for insufficient support of Israel.

Protests against Hanson have featured signs criticising her support of Israel. Jewish groups, however, have also linked One Nation to antisemitism and neo-Nazi sympathisers.

Hanson’s support for Israel is not a moral stance – it is a political calculation, designed to attract donors and align with the interests of her wealthy backers.

The Work That Isn’t Being Done

While Hanson travels on private planes and claims taxpayer-funded flights, the work of representing Australians is not being done.

Hanson has attended only 12% of Senate estimates hearings over the last decade. Shadow Defence Minister James Paterson noted she has been “missing in action for 88% of those hearings.”

“She’s paid very well to turn up and ask questions on behalf of her constituents,” Paterson said. “For an oppositional crossbench Senator, Senate estimates is the place where you can do some of your best work. For her to not bother showing up while still taking a salary – I think it reflects very badly on her and her commitment to her job.”

The Contribution of Immigrant Communities

While Hanson rages against multiculturalism, immigrant communities continue to build Australia.

Chinese Australians are the largest ethnic and cultural group in the country, with over 1.2 million people, contributing to business, science, medicine, education, the arts, and public service. Chinese students alone generated $13 billion (paywalled) in economic activity in 2024.

Lebanese Australians, numbering around 250,000 (2021 Census data), have made their mark in politics, fashion, law, and hospitality. Over one-third of Lebanese workers own businesses – more than double the national average.

Greek Australians have built entrepreneurial networks in food services, real estate, and shipping, yielding outsized economic impacts relative to population size.

Muslim Australians contribute as doctors, lawyers, artists, athletes, tradespeople, comedians, businesspeople, and parents. The Halal meat industry alone contributes around $5 billion to the Australian economy annually and employs 30,000 people.

The broader picture: Migrants have accounted for more than 70% of workforce growth since 2000 and are projected to continue contributing materially to economic growth. Every additional 1,000 migrants contribute roughly $124 million in annual economic value through labour supply, taxation, entrepreneurship, innovation, and consumer demand.

Conclusion: The Grievance Industry

One Nation is not a political party – it is a grievance industry. It profits from division, fear, and the politics of resentment. It offers slogans instead of solutions, dog whistles instead of policies, and performance instead of governance.

The evidence is clear:

One Nation is funded by billionaires, not by ordinary Australians.

• Its policies are incoherent and unworkable.
• Its leader does not do the work she is paid to do.
• Its attacks on multiculturalism are not just wrong – they are a betrayal of what makes Australia strong.

Immigrant communities have built this country. They have contributed to its economy, its culture, and its identity. They are not a threat to Australia – they are Australia.

Hanson and One Nation offer nothing but fear. And fear is not a policy. It is not a solution. It is not a future.

This article is dedicated to my wife, who never looked away.