Set at Parliament House in Canberra, the series follows Hanson (voiced by herself) teaching a class of Australian politicians, and parodies current political events while promoting the One Nation party and its policies. Episodes are released on One Nation's YouTube channel every Friday and re-aired on Sky News Australia.
Viewers have raised money for the series through donations and by purchases from One Nation's online store, most notably One Nation-branded alcohol (namely gin,[4]rum[5] and vodka).[6]
The series has been subject to numerous controversies due to its content.[7][8]
Episodes
Specials
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Title
Release date
1
Thank you for helping make 'Pauline Hanson's Please Explain' possible!
Due to its content, the series has been subject to numerous controversies, mostly due to the content of specific episodes, which, while satirical, has been perceived by some as defamatory or offensive. The series has also been accused of promoting disinformation.[9]
In April 2022, the party was warned by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) over the episode Voter Fraud, where Labor is shown rigging postal votes for the 2022 federal election to get elected (therefore falsely implying electoral fraud). In the episode, then-Opposition Leader (and later Prime Minister) Anthony Albanese is seen laying in bed sick with COVID-19 and is offered a soup that contains a live bat by Penny Wong. Wong hands Albanese electoral ballots (including one of his dog Toto), with Wong telling him to fill in the ballots to rig the election in favour of the Labor Party. The episode has been geoblocked in Australia on all of One Nation's official social media accounts upon request from the AEC. The AEC also warned the party for its lack of official authorisation at the end of the cartoons, which has since been added to every episode.[12]
The NDIS
In April 2023, One Nation was also criticised for the episode The NDIS, which mocks the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). In the episode, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley visit a doctor who tells them that after the Liberal Party was "destroyed in Aston" (in reference to the party's historic loss at the 2023 Aston by-election), the party has been severely damaged but is now eligible for the NDIS. The doctor presents to them a video featuring Albanese and NDIS Minister Bill Shorten who mention perceivably bad things about the NDIS and repeatedly erroneously call the scheme the "National Disability Insurance Scam" before correcting themselves (implying that the NDIS is a scam).[13]
Gender Confusion
In September 2024, the episode "Gender Confusion" was re-released, which removed Life Education Australia branding that was present in the original version of the episode. The revised episode's description claimed that "originally, this episode didn't get the attention it deserved due to some behind-the-scenes hiccups",[14] likely as a result of a copyright claim by Life Education Australia. The episode still features the iconic giraffepuppetHealthy Harold, the mascot of Life Education Australia.
The State of Queensland
In June 2024, Australian conservationist Robert Irwin's lawyers threatened to sue Hanson over the episode The State of Queensland, which criticises the state Labor government's policies on issues such as crime, native title, health and the economy. It features Irwin and cartoon character Bluey (a dog who is the titular character of a popular Australian children's animated television series set in Brisbane, who the Queensland Government are using to promote tourism in the state). Hanson refused to take the video down and told Irwin to "lighten up".[15]
Notes
↑ This includes the episode Voter Fraud, which is unavailable on YouTube or on social media in Australia due to a takedown order from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC).[1] Re-uploaded versions are available on YouTube.
↑ This episode has been taken down from YouTube and is unavailable on One Nation's official social media accounts in Australia, as it has been geoblocked upon order from the AEC.
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