Pauline Hanson has praised men and criticised feminists in a speech to near-empty senate on Thursday.

In the unusual five minute speech Senator Hanson said she wanted to 'pay homage to the majority of men in Australia'.

'Well done, men. You deserve to be honoured. I thank you. It is more often that we lift up women in this country. Men are widely regarded as toxic. That is wrong. The extreme majority of men are not toxic. They are good, they are caring,' Ms Hanson said.

Pauline Hanson has praised men and criticised feminists in a speech to near-empty senate on Thursday

She then went on to talk about Australia's bushfire crises and how most of the firefighters were male.

There are blazes still burning across New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria - in NSW more than 680 houses have been razed by bushfires.

'While the firefighters, who are mostly male, were battling the blazes we had feminists telling us that after they fight the fires, no doubt exhausted, covered in sweat, ash and soot, and with their skin singed from the heat, they go home and beat their partners,' she said.

'What an idiotic suggestion.'

Hanson was refferring to a since deleted tweet from journalist and Red Heart Campaign founder Sherele Moody, who said domestic violence surged after 'cataclysmic events'.

In the speech, Ms Hanson claimed she had had a 'gutful' of 'man-hating feminists'.

'I believe in what is fair and just and I am sick and tired of this constant criticism of men in Australia, especially if they're white'. 'Well, I'm not going to man-bash. There is no reason to do it. The vast majority of men are not toxic. They are loving, caring, respectful and hardworking and it's mostly men who step up and face the flames, extreme heat … to fight the bushfires.'

A group of 21 Canadian firefighters will forgo the holidays to help battle raging bushfires in Australia. Pictured: RFS volunteers and NSW Fire and Rescue officers fight a bushfire encroaching on properties near Termeil on Tuesday

She then went on to quote precentages of male versus female firefighters, truck drivers, and miners.

She said she was disappointed she had never seen a feminist campaign to recruit more women to these professions.

'Maybe it's too demanding, not glamorous enough, so they're happy for the men to do it,' she suggested.

She ended the speech by thanking her male parliamentary colleagues who she said 'made things interesting'.