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Australia's family law system and domestic violence provisions have come under renewed scrutiny following comments by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and senator Malcolm Roberts. Hanson described paid domestic violence leave as "ridiculous" and suggested police resources were being diverted from "real crime," while Roberts referred to the family court as the "slaughterhouse of the nation."

Coverage Comparison

The Guardian reported on the resurfacing of Hanson's comments, which were made on the Broken Fathers podcast in November 2025 and first reported by the Nine newspapers. The Guardian also noted that Hanson's remarks came amid backlash over her suggestion that domestic violence is a "two-way street," a comment she has since said was taken "out of context."

The Guardian's coverage highlighted Hanson's description of domestic violence leave as a "holiday" and her criticism of "feminist" groups in the domestic violence system. Roberts' comment about the family court was also featured, along with Hanson's 2021 claim that domestic violence was being "used as a weapon" in court proceedings.

Key Claims

Hanson's remarks on domestic violence leave

On the Broken Fathers podcast, Hanson said she considered the introduction of 10 days of paid domestic violence leave "ridiculous," calling it a "holiday." She also said"Ten days a year, they brought that in, so everyone's, you know, claiming domestic violence and everything like that," adding, "It's ridiculous." Hanson said "your employer should not be responsible" for providing such leave.

Hanson suggested domestic violence was taking police away from "real crime" and called for the family law system to be "wound back." She accused the media and the Labor party of "twisting" her words.

Hanson's broader criticism of the family law system

During the podcast, Hanson repeatedly referred to the system as "broken" and said it needed an overhaul, pointing to "feminist" and women's groups pushing their agenda. "I do think it is broken because we've got too many woke people in parliament now, and it's pushing women's rights," she said. "But with … women's rights, you've got to have women's responsibilities."

In a 2021 podcast, Hanson claimed domestic violence was being "used as a weapon" in court proceedings and criticized domestic violence groups for focusing on support for women. She said, "I feel for the children, I feel for the parents and I'm sick of these feminists who are trying to take over this whole thing and who are actually driving their own agenda. I'm sick and tired of hearing that men are the only perpetrators and they're denied the right to see their children."

Roberts' "slaughterhouse" comment

Malcolm Roberts referred to the family court as the "slaughterhouse of the nation," according to The Guardian. The comment was reported as part of the recent wave of One Nation criticism of the family law system.

Policy context

Ten days of paid family violence leave was introduced during the Albanese government's first term. Under a program introduced in 2024, victim-survivors can access up to $5,000 in individualised financial support if they are leaving a violent relationship. The federal Labor government legislated for 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave annually in 2022.

Hanson's comments on the Broken Fathers podcast, which focuses on the perspectives of fathers during family court matters, have drawn renewed scrutiny following her recent radio comments. Hanson said family violence was "wrong" but "it's also a two-way street," and later claimed those remarks were taken "out of context."