Pauline Hanson suggests early superannuation access for Australians amid cost-of-living crisis

Jim Chalmers has accused One Nation of wanting ‘to destroy’ the country’s superannuation system after Pauline Hanson’s comments on Sunday.

Senator Hanson said she believed Australians should be able to access their superannuation to stay afloat during the cost-of-living crisis.

She told News24 that the current system was “broken”.

“There’s a lot in that one with compulsory superannuation,” Senator Hanson said

“A lot of Australians are doing it tough now and struggling to pay off their mortgages.

“In some ways, I feel that you should give them their money now and let them help them with the cost of living.

“It is their money; they’ve sacrificed it in lieu of pay.

“So, in a lot of cases, people want it.”

Senator Hanson said a One Nation government would allow people to use their superannuation for a home deposit.

“Superannuation should be lightened up a bit so people can utilise this money in times of crisis. It is their money,” she said.

In response, Dr Chalmers called the party “a threat” to Australian workers.

“One Nation wants to destroy the compulsory superannuation system, just like the Liberals and the Nationals,” he wrote.

“They are all a threat to the retirement incomes and economic security of Australian workers.

“Labor built Australia’s super system, and we’ll always defend it.”

The comments came as the One Nation leader also addressed her migration concerns.

She was unable to say how many international students she would deny entry to Australia while vowing to gut the $55 billion international education sector.

Senator Hanson says she wants net migration cut down to 130,000 from the current 300,000, but has been unable to say how she would do that since unveiling the policy earlier this year.

International students make up about a third of current net migration and would bear the brunt of cuts, sparking fears that her policy, if realised, would destroy Australia’s second-biggest export.

“I think the international student industry that’s been set up by the universities is a farce,” Senator Hanson told News24 on Sunday, claiming without proof that people use student visas “as a backdoor to get into the country”.

“Then they bring in their family members or their spouses, and I think it’s about 271,000 that are on in the country now under that category.

“If they want to bring them into the country, then universities must look at accommodation for them, not these people buying accommodation in Australia and taking it up.”

Asked for a number, Senator Hanson said: “I’m not putting a figure on it now.”

- With NCA