Anthony Albanese has said One Nation was more likely to represent the interests of mining billionaire Gina Rinehart than working-class Australians and claimed David Pocock “seeks to promote grievances” to win support.
In an hour-long YouTube interview with Nine journalist Karl Stefanovic on his independent podcast on Tuesday afternoon, the prime minister discussed a range of topics, from Syrian detention camp repatriations to immigration and One Nation’s surge in popularity.
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Albanese is the first Labor politician to appear on the Karl Stefanovic Show which the Today show co-host launched as a solo venture four weeks ago. The guest list has been dominated by right-wing guests, including One Nation politicians Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce, Liberal shadow minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and anti-immigration podcasters.
While Albanese and Stefanovic were talking, third-party commentators published antisemitic statements and promoted Australian neo-Nazis on a live YouTube comment stream. The comments were later deleted.
Stefanovic did not respond to a request for comment about the stream, and it remains unclear who deleted the comments.
Albanese, who was interviewed at the Lodge, was asked if One Nation could win seats from Labor because they “better represent” working-class values.
Support for One Nation has risen since the 2025 federal election, with experts attributing the minor right-wing party’s increased popularity to the Coalition’s internal turmoil and anxiety over immigration.
“They oppose every advance that trade unions have ever made. They oppose – One Nation – one job, one pay, same job, same pay, which has made such a difference. They’ve opposed the legislation that we’ve done to enshrine penalty rates on weekends. They oppose the pay increases that were put for workers in the care sector, like aged care,” he said.
“When people look at what policies they have, they don’t represent working people. And of course, One Nation’s greatest supporter, [ Hanson’s] friend is Gina Rinehart. Last time I looked, [Rinehart’s] not a working-class hero, but someone who’s advocated cuts to wages and cuts to working conditions.”
Hanson’s ties with Rinehart have been documented in recent years, with the Queensland senator accepting return flights between Brisbane and Florida on Rinehart’s private jet in October to attend the Conservative Political Action Conference and Donald Trump’s Great Gatsby-themed Halloween party at Mar-a-Lago.
Albanese said Hanson “represents someone who has always sought division. That is something that she has done throughout her career.
“The polling represents people … walking away from the Coalition … that is people expressing that frustration with the system that they think isn’t working for them.”
Albanese also took aim at progressive ACT senator Pocock when asked by Stefanovic about claims Australians, on average, were paying more tax on beer than mining companies were for the country’s resources.
Initially believing the point to be from the Greens, Albanese said: “The Greens political party would shut down all of our industry if they had the chance”.
Once clarified it was a point made by Pocock, the prime minister said: “I think David Pocock is someone who seeks to promote grievance as well”.
Albanese was asked to respond to recent comments by Joyce, who told Stefanovic on an earlier podcast that immigrants from “shithole” countries should return to their countries if they did not abide by Australian values.
The prime minister said he didn’t agree with the “lack of respect in that sentiment”.
“We have a non-discriminatory policy, and one of the things that people from war-torn places, who’ve come here [for], is for a better life,” he said.
“Take our Vietnamese migrants that were pilloried for a while by some people, you know? They’re incredible successes.”
Albanese wrote to his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, confirming Australia would support any proposal to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the royal line of succession after the former prince was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Asked whether he raised the Mountbatten-Windsor succession issue overnight to “move the story on” from the Australian women and children stuck in a Syrian camp, Albanese said: “Karl, I call bullshit.”
Stefanovic said Mountbatten-Windsor was “a feral pig. A disgusting, disgusting feral pig.”
Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied any wrongdoing or accusations against him and has not so far been charged with any criminal offence.
Nine declined to comment on the vile comments which were published on Stefanovic’s podcast.
YouTube parent Google has been approached for comment.
