Waleed Aly and Lisa Wilkinson had a slightly awkward exchange on The Project on Friday night, after the former Today show host praised Pauline Hanson for her tenacity – much to her co-host’s surprise and displeasure.
The show had been discussing the latest drama within Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, which has seen the Queensland leader declare she has lost confidence in Senator Brian Burston and ask him to step aside so a new candidate can take his place.
Addressing Hanson’s emotional appearance on Sky News this week, in which she tearfully claimed Buston had betrayed her, Wilkinson told The Project panellists she admired Hanson’s grit.
“You have to admire her tenacity,” Wilkinson said. “No matter what you think of her politics, she has a passion for getting her message out there and there is plenty of people who still want to follow her.”
Looking somewhat shocked, Aly shot back: “I don’t know that I do have to admire that.”
Lisa then jumped to defend her position, saying, “If somebody has the courage of their convictions, because so often we see in politics, politicians who sway with the breeze.”
“Mind you she has been doing that a bit this year.”
Never one to back down from an argument, Aly said: “That is my point. You can admire her ambition. She is ambitious but… is about what she believes in?”
Wilkinson responded: “Given how often she has been knocked over and she keeps getting back up. I admire that.”
Aly quickly ended the exchange, saying, “A lot of people are tough”.
Hanson has been a hot topic across the media this week, with questions arising as to how long the party can last if it continues to be plagued by issues of in-fighting between members.
Read more: Pauline Hanson fights back tears on TV: ‘Party traitors won’t finish me’
Speaking on Sky News’ The Bolt Report on Thursday night, Hanson laid bare the latest party drama
and accused Burston of a double betrayal, by approaching the New South Wales Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party in a bid to defect from One Nation.
Burston later told Sky News that Hanson’s claims was “totally and absolutely false”, only to be left red-faced after Shooters party MP Robert Borsack told The Australian that Burston had indeed approached the party and they had rejected his overtures.
.@PaulineHansonOz: I'm not going to let Brian Burston finish me.
WATCH IN FULL: https://t.co/6yOY7oXVOl pic.twitter.com/AmqrX5bvGh
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) May 31, 2018
Speaking on Sky News about the falling out with Burston, Hanson said being stabbed in the back by the senator, whom she’s known for more than 20 years, “hurts deeply”. Repeatedly pausing as she choked back tears, Hanson poured out her dismay over the latest blow to her party.
“It means so much for me what I’m trying to do and for him to turn around and do this to me Ben, it’s hard,” she told host Ben Fordham.
“But I’m going to keep going and I’m going to get good people in that parliament beside me because it means so much to me to help the people that need help, that feel like no one’s listening to them, they’re sick of politicians because they don’t do anything.”
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