A controversial new inquiry into the family court system being pushed by Pauline Hanson will go ahead, despite anger from anti-domestic violence campaigners and opposition from Labor and the Greens.

Prime minister Scott Morrison has said the new parliamentary inquiry will not “take sides”, but women’s groups are concerned it will become a platform for men’s rights activists who believe the court system is biased against fathers.

While Labor and the Greens have said they will vote against the inquiry, the government has the support of enough crossbench senators for it to go ahead with the support of One Nation and Centre Alliance.

Hanson’s support for the inquiry has sparked furore among anti-domestic violence campaigners after she claimed women were lying about abuse to gain advantage in family courts.

The One Nation senator, who has claimed credit for the Coalition’s decision to establish an inquiry into the family law system and will co-chair the review, told ABC on Wednesday that some women were making up domestic violence claims in custody battles.

“There are people out there who are nothing but liars and who will use that in the court system,” she said.

“I am hearing too many cases where parents are using domestic violence to stop the other parent from seeing their children; perjury is in our system but they are not charged with perjury.”

When asked to provide evidence that mothers were making up abuse claims, she said she had personal experience and “submissions from people that this is the case”.

The claim is a prominent grievance among men’s rights groups, but has been widely discredited in multiple studies.

According to researcher Jess Hill, who has authored a book on domestic abuse called See What You Made Me Do, one of the most thorough studies on false abuse allegations from Canada found that non-custodial parents, usually fathers, made false complaints most frequently, accounting for 43% of the total, followed by neighbours and relatives at 19% and mothers at 14%.

Hanson said she was not taking sides, but children needed to have access to both parents.

“These people need to move on with their lives,” Hanson said.

“Get over the hate, the pain of a breakup, it’s about working together to find the answers to all this.”

Hanson has had two marriage breakdowns and has pointed to her son’s experience of being denied custody of his children as an example of why reform is needed. But she denied her personal experience was clouding her judgment, saying she was contacted “every week” by someone with a similar experience.

Prominent campaigner Rosie Batty said it was “completely unacceptable” for the government to be holding another inquiry into the flaws of the system and said Hanson’s obvious agenda made her unsuitable to chair the review.

“It is completely unacceptable for us to have another inquiry. We have had multiple inquiries about the failings of the family law court system. I have campaigned also for changes,” Batty said.

Anti-domestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty said Pauline Hanson’s obvious agenda made her unsuitable to co-chair the review into the family law system. Photograph: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

“There has been a Law Reform Commission inquiry with 60 recommendations presented to the government earlier this year – not one recommendation has been acknowledged or enforced.

“I would call on Labor, the Greens and the prime minister to block this unnecessary inquiry,” she said.

“We know the failings, we need to start investing in this court system that is broken, overwhelmed and failing. It is continuing to put families, particularly children, in danger.”

Labor’s shadow minister for women Julie Collins said the government should condemn Hanson’s remarks.

“Pauline Hanson’s comments this morning regarding domestic violence are completely inappropriate and deeply disrespectful to survivors of domestic violence,” Collins said.

Greens senator Rachel Siewert said the party would oppose the “toxic” family law inquiry, saying it was a political “stitch-up” between One Nation and the Coalition.



“I’m deeply concerned about what I hear about the direction this inquiry would head, the best interest of the child must be at the centre of decision making in the family law system and what I hear from One Nation is mens’ rights, not what is best for the child,” Siewert said.



“We do not support an inquiry that clearly has pre-determined outcomes which are highly likely to not be in the best interest of the child.”

The government has not yet responded to the Australian Law Reform Commission, which handed down 60 recommendations in March, in what was the latest in a series of inquiries into the failings of the family court system.

Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek said that change was overdue and the new review would complement the recommendations made by the ALRC which should be implemented.

“There are some very sensible suggestions that have been made after a deep study of the family law system – we don’t need to wait to implement those recommendations,” Plibersek said.

“That doesn’t mean that it’s not also beneficial to hear from people who are interacting with the family law system about issues like the impact of family violence in the family law system and the impact that long delays and expensive procedures have on getting justice through the family law system.”



The prime minister said the inquiry would attempt to strike a balance, and would listen carefully to the grievances about the system from families.

“This isn’t about picking sides,” Scott Morrison told the Seven Network.



“It’s about listening to Australians and ensuring that we’re taking a timely review talking directly to them.”

The review, which will be chaired by conservative Victorian Liberal Kevin Andrews will investigate court timeframes and costs, custody arrangements and child support.

Nationals MPs Barnaby Joyce and George Christensen told the party room on Tuesday that they believed the system was biased against men, but Morrison told them the review would not take sides.