As Australians grapple with the news that Pauline Hanson has successfully orchestrated a political comeback, it has emerged that Sunrise had been regularly paying to have her messages beamed into our living rooms in the lead-up to the election.
Hanson’s far-right One Nation party is likely to have picked up at least two Senate seats in Saturday’s election, and she believes it could climb to as many as six when the vote count is completed.
But after 18 years out of the political spotlight, many were left questioning how exactly she managed to rally enough public support to secure the victory.
Pauline Hanson delivers her first press conference since her Senate win. Post continues after video…
Critics are now pointing their fingers at Seven’s Sunrise for having routinely given her a platform to air her extreme views in the past months – and paying her for the privilege.
The show’s executive producer Michael Pell confirmed she was a paid contributor, telling news.com.au there was nothing out of the ordinary about Hanson’s appearances.
“Pauline is one of a number of paid regular commentators on Sunrise,” he said.
“She does not appear alone, but rather with other commentators, to canvass a range of views on the main news topics of the day.”