One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s launch of a new movie-length film of the “Please Explain” cartoon series at Parliament House has been banned by bureaucrats on the grounds it might “cause offence” to members of the public.
The South Park inspired cartoon for conservatives is being adapted into a 90-minute feature film and is set for public release on Australia Day.
“People are saying, ‘Pauline – where are your cartoons? We want to see your cartoons,’” Ms Hanson said.
“Well, the big surprise is, we’re actually putting out the movie.
“It’s going to be released in January next year, and what’s the most important day of the year in January? Australia Day. So that’s what this is about.”
But the popular satire has proved too much for parliamentary officials despite having over 100 episodes and more than 50 million views.
Hanson has been promoting her film heavily on social media.
In a letter obtained by news.com.au, parliamentary officials told One Nation it was too hot to handle.
“The planned special event film screening of A Super Progressive Movie scheduled for 25 November 2025 in the Australian Parliament House theatre has been cancelled in accordance with event booking considerations as outlined in the Australian Parliament House events policy,’’ the letter states.
“These considerations include the requirement that events held at Australian Parliament House are accepted, among other requirements, of not being likely to cause offence to any part of the Australian community.
“The Department of Parliamentary Services are open to receiving additional information from the event organiser about the event booking and screening, to consider alignment against the APH Events Policy and/or a future booking date.”
It’s the same cartoon series that triggered legal action after an episode titled “The State of Queensland” satirically depicted Robert Irwin alongside a reproduction of the iconic cartoon dog Bluey.
The letter outlining that A Super Progressive Movie would not be screened tonight.
Lawyers on behalf of Mr Irwin fired off a letter to StepMates Studios hours after the release of the episode, and threatened to apply for an injunction and to commence defamation proceedings if the cartoon was not taken down.
The One Nation leader has been heavily promoting the film for months and had advertised on Facebook for members of the public to attend the movie screening in Canberra.
StepMates Studios, the production team of Ms Hanson’s satirical cartoons, were initially commissioned in 2022 to produce “an animated political satire” for that year’s federal election.
The six-part series has gone on to include seventy episodes.
Pauline Hanson was banned from the Senate on Tuesday for seven days after her decision to wear a burqa and high heels on the floor of Parliament.
The new penalty follows her earlier suspension of 24 hours and being censured by the Senate.
The One Nation leader has insisted she only wore the outfit after the Senate barred her from moving a bill to ban face coverings.
“Yesterday, I put up a Bill to amend the criminal code amendment to ban the burqa and full face coverings in public places,” she said.
Pauline Hanson’s animated cartoon series “Please Explain”.
“I was denied that right. I had the right by the Senate to move my Bill, to actually debate it on the floor of parliament.
“You denied me and the people of Australia to have that voice.
“You chose to shut it down.”
Senator Hanson went on to claim she had been targeted “a number of times”.
“You dare question me over my respect for this place,” she said.
“The senators in this place have no respect for the Australian people when they have an elected member who wants to move something and to represent them and have their say.
“If there’s no concern over banning the burqa or full face coverings, why did you stop me?
Thorpe calls for Hanson to undergo racism training
Lidia Thorpe has called Ms Hanson to undergo racism training. As the fallout continues over the protest, the ex-Greens senator has demanded that the One Nation leader be given the same treatment that she experienced after she protested against King Charles.
“Senator Hanson should be dealt with in the same way I was dealt with when I told the king off for colonising my country. So she needs to be sanctioned, not just suspended for a couple of hours, and she needs to be held accountable,” she said.
“We can’t be promoting hate speech in this parliament, setting a bad example for the rest of the country. Racism is rife out there on the streets for black and brown people, and we need to tackle that as a nation. And what Senator Hanson did yesterday only exacerbates the problem.”
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson dressed in a burqa.
She called on Parliament to implement the Racial Discrimination Commissioner’s recommendation for all politicians to undergo racism training.
The fallout emerged as Barnaby Joyce confirmed he would make a decision shortly on whether he would jump ship to One Nation.
He also defended Ms Hanson over the burqa stunt insisting too many critics were reaching for the outrage microphone.
“If you want to give someone publicity, just shut them down, and then they’ve got all the publicity they want,” Mr Joyce said.
“[We wouldn’t be] having this conversation if those senators in the chamber allowed Pauline Hanson to put forward her private members bill. But by shutting it down, it’s the reason why she, she, she launched this stunt and this protest and, well, she gets the publicity that she wanted in the first place.”
However, Mr Joyce’s friend and Nationals colleague Matt Canavan criticised his decision to move to One Nation.
“It’s only now that he’s trying to jump ship. He doesn’t see a future in the Nationals party for himself. But that seems to me, to raise the question: is this move from Barnaby about the Australian people, or is it about himself?” he asked.
“It’s turning into a longer saga than Days Of Our Lives, so I think people are all sick and tired of it. It seems to me, there’s already fights before they’ve exchanged vows. So how’s this going to turn out?”
It’s been a bad week for Pauline Hanson. Picture: Mick Tsikas/AAP
Joyce confirms worst-kept secret
Mr Joyce has confirmed Canberra’s worst-kept secret, dining with One Nation leader Pauline Hanson in a move that confirms he is looking to jump ship from the Nationals.
Just hours after Ms Hanson threw on a burqa and high heels and marched into the Senate sparking chaos, the Queensland senator found time to dine with the former deputy prime minister.
Earlier, Barnaby Joyce defended her right to wear the burqa on free speech grounds, as his soon-to-be colleague Ms Hanson accused critics of a “freak out”.
“The usual hypocrites had an absolute freak out,” she said of her burqa protest.
“The fact is, more than 20 countries around the world have banned the burqa because they recognise it as a tool that oppresses women, poses a national security risk, encourages radical Islam, and threatens social cohesion.
“If these hypocrites don’t want me to wear a burqa, they can always support my ban.”
Timeline for a defection
The former deputy prime minister is expected to defect to MsHanson’s party following disagreements with Nationals leader David Littleproud.
“I just don’t want any circus. I’m trying to wait till the end of the sitting week,” Mr Joyce said on Monday when asked about his political future.
When asked directly whether he would make a move after parliament rises, he said: “I’ll see. If I was doing anything, I’d try to get out of the building.”
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