One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has sparked nationwide outrage after claiming domestic violence is a “two-way street” and urging victims simply “don’t put up with it.” The senator’s controversial comments come as fresh statistics highlight Australia’s horrifying femicide crisis and new research exposes the insurmountable financial barriers keeping women trapped in abusive homes.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has found herself at the center of a furious national backlash after being accused of normalizing “victim-blaming rhetoric” during a controversial radio interview.
Speaking on 4BC Brisbane with presenter Gary Hardgrave, the Queensland senator made a series of polarizing statements regarding the underlying causes of domestic and family violence across Australia.
Her remarks come at a time of profound national grief, with communities mourning the recent deaths of four women killed in alleged domestic violence incidents, and on the exact same day a Perth teenager faced court charged with murdering his own mother.
Defending her perspective on air, Hanson claimed that domestic abuse often stems from escalating everyday stress, asserting that both men and women contribute to violent household breakdowns:
“(Domestic violence) is wrong but it’s also a two-way street. But I’m not saying that it’s just men — women can lose their cool as well,” Hanson told Hardgrave.
Opening up about her own past experiences with personal trauma, the politician drew from her own life lessons while encouraging victims to take immediate action to remove themselves from toxic environments:
“Domestic violence is a scourge but sometimes … I’m not going to go into detail but I’ve been through it myself in my life,” Hanson shared candidly.
“I just feel that if you’re not in a house where you feel safe, you don’t want to be there, then you shouldn’t put up with it. And if these women are getting abused by men out there then don’t put up with it.”
Hanson hypothesized that unprecedented post-pandemic financial pressure and general societal anxiety were acting as massive catalysts, pushing everyday Australians past their breaking points:
“Society is under so much pressure … and I think today everyone’s sitting on a timebomb because the pressures of cost of living and people having to be able to pay the bills, tension that’s going on or if you lose your job or the kids, what’s happening with the children these days, everyone is under so much pressure.”
“And it’s really hard — I don’t think we communicate enough with each other. We don’t explain our feelings, what’s happening at the moment. We bottle it all up.”
“People don’t know where to go or how they can deal with it because of pressures in life,” she added, framing the crisis around communication breakdowns.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has urged people experiencing domestic and family violence ‘don’t put up with it’. Credit: MICK TSIKAS/AAPIMAGE
Hanson’s simplistic “just leave” advice and framing of domestic abuse drew immediate, scathing condemnation from high-profile advocates and public figures.
Former political staffer and victim advocate Brittany Higgins blasted the senator’s radio remarks in a passionate statement shared across social media:
“Normalising this victim-blaming rhetoric in relation to domestic violence when 38 Australian women have already been lost to femicide is atrocious,” Higgins stated forcefully.
Critics argue that attributing domestic terrorism to cost-of-living stress ignores deep-seated issues of control, misogyny, and power imbalance, potentially handing abusers an excuse for violent behavior.
Victim advocate Brittany Higgins speaking out against victim-blaming rhetoric Credit: AAP
Adding to the political discourse, former Nationals leader turned One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce also weighed in, urging Australian men to exercise self-control when emotions run high:
“Just be cool. James Bond is loved in the cinemas because he keeps it all together,” Joyce stated.
“Blokes who lose their bottle have no style.”
While Joyce’s movie analogy aimed to promote restraint, domestic violence experts emphasize that severe physical and psychological abuse cannot be solved simply by asking perpetrators to “be cool.”
Barnaby Joyce speaking at a press conference regarding men’s mental health Credit: NewsWire
Hanson’s assertion that victims should simply exit violent relationships stands in stark contrast to official crime statistics and financial realities.
Official data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) paints a chilling picture of an escalating national crisis driven overwhelmingly by male offenders.
In the 2024–25 period alone, police recorded 97,800 family and domestic violence (FDV) offenders — representing an alarming eight percent surge compared to the previous year.
Samantha Hall, head of crime and justice statistics at the ABS, highlighted the historic nature of the crisis:
“2024–25 marked the highest recorded offender rate since national FDV data was first published in 2019–20, at 403 offenders per 100,000 people,” Hall confirmed.
The data further revealed that more than three-quarters (78 percent) of all recorded domestic violence offenders were male, with a median age of 35 years.
For many victim-survivors, Hanson’s advice to “not put up with it” overlooks the brutal economic trap holding them hostage inside unsafe homes.
Shocking new research released by Anglicare Sydney revealed on Wednesday that the immediate cost to flee a violent relationship — including emergency accommodation, removalist trucks, and bond deposits — has skyrocketed by 71 percent over the past decade.
Claire Dunlop, general manager of relationships and wellbeing at Anglicare Sydney, underscored the devastating barrier this creates for women attempting to escape:
“To see that the cost of leaving a violent home has risen 71 per cent in 10 years is confronting, because behind every number is a person trying to reach safety,” Dunlop explained.
“For many victim-survivors, leaving already takes enormous courage. What this research shows is that financial barriers are becoming another obstacle to safety. When housing costs, childcare, transport and everyday essentials keep rising, people can feel trapped between violence and financial insecurity.”
Dunlop further detailed how perpetrators actively manipulate financial structures through coercive control, ensuring victims are left destitute long before they attempt to flee:
“We are seeing more cases where coercive control involves debts being accumulated in a victim-survivor’s name, so not only is there forced financial dependence or restricted access to funds, but damaged credit histories,” Dunlop noted.
“Carrying that burden, victim-survivors either can’t or feel like they won’t be able to access secure housing or credit, obtain utilities or establish financial independence.”
To combat this escalating crisis, Anglicare is calling on the federal government to urgently increase the Leaving Violence Program payment from $5,000 to $7,000, while expanding long-term affordable housing options and paid domestic violence leave.
As Australia grapples with a tragic surge in domestic homicides, the fierce clash over Hanson’s comments underscores a critical national debate: whether society treats domestic abuse as a complex, systemic crime requiring financial support, or continues to mistakenly view it as a simple “two-way” conflict where victims can just walk away.