A firestorm of political controversy has swept across Australia after a sexist electoral campaign targeting Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan drew widespread condemnation — and sparked an extraordinary rebuke from One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, who has doubled down on her criticism of the embattled state leader. At the center of the outrage is an outdoor billboard bearing the inflammatory slogan “Ditch the Witch,” a phrase already notorious in Australian politics for its use against former prime minister Julia Gillard during the 2011 national carbon tax debate. Friday brought confirmation that the campaign counts partial funding from Franco Puleo, a Melbourne-based brothel owner, which amplified public backlash almost immediately.
In comments delivered to Sky News on Monday night, Senator Hanson rejected widespread labeling of the slogan as misogynistic, and instead told Premier Allan to “suck it up” and accept harsh political criticism. Drawing on her own 30-year career in public office, Hanson argued that strong language is par for the course in Australian politics, adding “if the shoe fits, wear it.” The One Nation leader went on to tie the inflammatory slogan to widespread public discontent with Allan’s leadership, listing rising violent crime, street gang activity, and ongoing conflict over transmission line development in Victoria’s agricultural sector as evidence that Allan’s government had failed the state. “It’s an absolute basket case,” Hanson said of Victoria, adding that if harsh words are enough to derail a sitting premier, they cannot be trusted to manage a state of millions. “I’ve been called so many things over my career, it’s water off a duck’s back now,” Hanson wrote in a follow-up social media post.
But the far-right leader’s comments have been roundly rejected by political figures across the ideological spectrum. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese led national condemnation on Monday, warning that dehumanizing, sexist political rhetoric creates a culture that can lead to violence against elected officials. “What I don’t want to do is to have a press conference in this courtyard after a tragedy,” Albanese said, calling on political actors to “turn the temperature down” on aggressive discourse. The prime minister added that unchecked misogyny in politics discourages women from entering public life, eroding what should be an honourable profession.
Puleo, the campaign’s co-funder, has denied that the slogan is sexist, rejecting widespread criticism of the messaging. For her part, Allan acknowledged that political disagreement is a normal part of democracy, but emphasized the broader harm of the slogan. “I care that this attacks women. And I care about who’s next,” she said, noting that Australian political debate has grown increasingly corrosive over the past decade. Even Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson, who leads the state’s center-right opposition against Allan’s Labor government, called the slogan “not appropriate language,” though she framed the campaign as the work of a small, unrepresentative fringe group.
The most high-profile show of solidarity came from Julia Gillard, the former prime minister who was targeted by the exact same “witch” slur 15 years ago. In a rare public statement on social media, Gillard said she had long held that the treatment of women in Australian politics was slowly improving, with misogyny becoming less common in mainstream political discourse even as social media remains a toxic space. “I am saddened to see that improvement cast aside and this tired old trope resurrected,” Gillard said.
The controversy comes at a precarious moment for Allan, who took over the Victorian premiership from the controversial Daniel Andrews in 2023. The premier is facing a tough state election contest this November, with polling showing declining approval ratings, ongoing public friction over infrastructure projects and rising crime, and a sharp surge in support for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party in the state. Recent days have even brought open questions about the future of Allan’s leadership of the state Labor party, as internal and external critics increasingly question her ability to hold the line against growing conservative and far-right momentum.