AFP investigates banner stunt during Pauline Hanson’s National Press Club speech

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have launched an investigation into a protest incident that occurred during Pauline Hanson’s speech at the National Press Club. The activist group GetUp claimed responsibility for the stunt.

On Wednesday afternoon, the National Press Club said it had referred the incident to police after confirming that none of its own staff were involved. About 20 minutes into Hanson’s speech, a banner was unfurled behind her. It featured an edited black-and-white photo of her with the words: “I opposed a pay rise for workers, while I took a $100,000 pay rise for myself.”

The press club stated that “two persons entered the club building yesterday afternoon without permission and installed a separate drop-down screen in front of our media wall/light box.” A third person present during the address activated a remote device to trigger the unfurling of the coiled banner.

GetUp sent an email at 1:57pm with the subject line “Hanson NPC Address: It Was Us.” The group’s CEO, Paul Ferris, said the stunt aimed to highlight her voting record on cost-of-living measures. “Pauline Hanson has built her entire brand on being for the battlers. But her record tells a different story. One Nation has consistently opposed wage rises, affordable childcare, increases to the aged pension, and housing affordability measures,” Ferris’s statement read.

The press club said David Sharaz, a former journalist now working for GetUp and husband of Brittany Higgins, was at the event and was seen filming the incident on his phone. “After the banner had lowered, [Sharaz] left abruptly,” the club noted. It added that this likely forms part of the AFP investigation.

During the event, the press club’s CEO, Maurice Reilly, walked onto the stage with another staff member and removed the banner. “We’re not doing stunts, all right … we’re at the press club,” Reilly was heard saying. Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce alleged it could have been an “inside job,” but the press club stated the stunt was carried out by third parties and apologized to Hanson.