One Nation leader now opposes cuts to Sunday penalty rates, and will back tax cuts only for businesses with annual turnover of $50m or less

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Pauline Hanson has said she no longer supports cuts to Sunday penalty rates, a reversal of the position she held before the Western Australian election.

She also declared One Nation would support the Turnbull government’s tax cuts only for businesses with yearly turnover of $50m and less.

It means the Coalition’s hopes of squeezing its $48bn tax cut package through the Senate this week are effectively dashed, with Labor, the Greens and Jacqui Lambie also saying they will not support the entire tax package.

Hanson made the dual announcement on her Facebook page on Monday night.

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“After listening to people coming through my office, and on the streets, and back home over the weekend, and in the lead up to this, generally, the majority of the public do not want a cut to penalty rates on weekends,” she said.

“You’ve got my support. I’ve listened, and this is what you want, and I will not support any cuts to the penalty rates.

“With company tax, yes, I do support a cut there because small businesses have to be supported. We have to drive this economy. We have to give people the confidence to actually want to go into industries, manufacturing, create jobs, and the farming sector as well.

“This hopefully will flow on and it will help industries and manufacturing. The company tax cuts are for businesses up to $50m turnover. I don’t support the government’s $100m, I think that’s too far gone, too over the top, and I don’t support that. Up to $50m we will support.

“So to all of you out there, this is what One Nation stands for. And we’re hopefully getting it right.”

In the week before the WA election, Hanson said she supported in principle the Fair Work Commission’s decision to cut Sunday penalty rates for workers covered by four awards (fast food, retail, pharmacy and hospitality).

Asked on the ABC’s Insiders program if she supported the FWC’s decision, she said: “I think, in principle, yes, I do.

“I’m hoping to give small businesses a chance for growth.

“This government is doing nothing about addressing this whole issue and Labor are a bunch of hypocrites ... I think if we looked at it, we might be able to increase employment by helping small business [with a cut in penalty rates],” she said.



Hanson will have a chance to formalise her new position this week if Labor’s private member’s bill calling for the penalty rate cuts to be overturned comes to a vote.

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Independent senator Nick Xenophon had on Monday left open the possibility of supporting the government’s $48bn tax cut plan in return for the government backing an emissions intensity scheme. But Hanson’s announcement will deal him out of the game.

Labor says it will only support tax cuts for companies with $2m turnover; Lambie will support for companies with $10m turnover; and the Greens oppose the cuts outright.

Lambie told the ABC on Monday evening: “I’m happy to, when it comes to businesses of up to $10m, to give them a nice big tax cut.

“I would rather see them having a nice big 10% tax cut ... we’ve already worked out that trickle-down economics does not work.

“How about we try trickle-up economics, and start from that.”

Hanson had warned on Monday morning that her party would abstain from voting on any legislation until the dispute between Queensland Sugar Limited and Wilmar was resolved.

But late on Monday she said the sugar dispute was progressing, and she was happy with her talks with the government, so she would no longer be on strike.