'Not appropriate': PM criticises One Nation after 'nasty' press conference moment

Friday, 22 May 2026 08:12

The One Nation leader made the remark just seconds after her adviser said 'shut up' to a journalist.

Barnaby Joyce says he has called a reporter to apologise following a tense moment at a press conference in which One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's media adviser told the journalist to shut up.

Hanson was wrapping up a press conference in Adelaide yesterday when her media adviser, Richard Henderson, told reporters there would be no more questions.

"We're done, thank you. No, no, no. Shut up. We're done," Henderson said to a reporter.

"Did you just say shut up?" the reporter responded.

"Yes, I did tell you to shut up," he said.

As Hanson walked away with Joyce, she told her adviser: "…you should've said you're the nasty b---h."

The words caused Joyce and other advisers to laugh, before Hanson said, "Do you want me to go back and I'll tell her."

It was unclear who she was referring to.

Joyce told Sky News he called the reporter to apologise on Henderson's behalf.

"I just don't know the backstory on it, whatever it is, I'm not quite interested in it to be quite frank," he said.

"As you know, press conferences are on the balls of your toes and it goes back and forth in, at times, a willing way and, I don't know, maybe that's part of the colour of it.

"One thing you can say: One Nation are never boring."

Joyce admitted that he was also "not purer than thou" and has had run-ins with reporters in the past.

"I'll give as good as I get. But shouldn't make a habit of it," he said.

Hanson has not commented on yesterday's exchange.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said both Henderson and Hanson's comments were "not appropriate".

"Labor is now the only mainstream political party in Australia. We have three right-wing parties all competing against each other and their allies cheering them on," he said.

"Parties of grievance could only achieve so much, because they don't put forward a positive agenda. And they need to be held to account as well for their actions and for their policies or lack thereof."

The fiery exchange came just weeks after Hanson's chief of staff, James Ashby, was filmed kicking ABC journalists out of a campaign event.

His actions were questioned by Hanson and the pair had a back-and-forth.

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