Pauline Hanson likened Australia’s alcohol taxes to rape after she landed back in Brisbane from India.
During a stopover in Singapore, the One Nation leader used a rather controversial comparison to slam Australia’s excise charges on spirits and beer.
‘I’m just in transit at Singapore looking forward to being home,’ she told her 214,000 followers on Sunday. ‘Anyone want some duty free?
‘It’s times like this you realise how much money the government are reaping (or raping, depending on which way you look at it) from Aussie consumers on alcohol.’
Pauline Hanson is embraced by One Nation’s sole Queensland parliament MP Steve Dickson
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson told her supporters alcohol excise was like ‘rape’
While travellers are able to bring in up to 2.25 litres of alcohol into Australia duty free, pure alcohol is taxed at more than $34 a litre if full-strength beer is sold in a 48-litre keg.
Beer sold in small containers, such as bottles, attracts excise of close to $49 a litre.
However, Senator Hanson didn’t mention Australia’s excise during a media conference at Brisbane airport on Sunday with her supporters.
Instead, she used her parliamentary study trip to India, which is home to 1.3 billion people, to hammer her message about the need for Australia to cut back its annual immigration intake.
Pauline Hanson (pictured with former One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts) drank champagne last year to celebrate Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential race
Pauline Hanson has little political baggage as she is greeted by supporters at Brisbane airport
‘It was a fantastic trip going to India but just to open up my eyes and why we have to stop further immigration in this country until we get our construction and everything right,’ she said.
She was greeted by One Nation’s only MP in the Queensland parliament Steve Dickson, a defector and former minister from the Liberal National Party.
Her arrival came a day after a Galaxy poll showed her party’s support had risen from 15 per cent to 18 per cent during the past three months.
Backing for the major parties had fallen since the January 2015 election, with the LNP dipping to 32 per cent and Labor unmoved at 35 per cent.