One Nation AI Ad Sparks Cafe Boycott and Family Row in Tasmania
A low-effort artificial intelligence video released by Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party has triggered a bitter political clash between a Tasmanian cafe owner and the party leader’s daughter, Lee Hanson. Titled “Coming Out,” the online clip features a suburban family dinner table where a young man awkwardly tells his parents he is “conservative,” prompting his mother to remove a blue wig and reveal bright orange hair styled like Pauline Hanson’s. Beyond the dinner table scene, the video shows a man wielding a machete, a protester wearing an apparent explosives vest, and demonstrations outside a parliament building. The release quickly spilled into the physical world when a small business north-east of Hobart publicly condemned the footage. The Richmond Reading Room, a cafe operating in the region, posted a stinging message on its social media pages expressing deep offense at the party’s video. The post took direct aim at a regular customer and local Senate candidate, Lee Hanson, without naming her directly. “Seen the latest One Nation ad and felt absolutely disgusted like I do? Then you’ll likely feel the same way when you see the orange ute outside our coffee shop,” the cafe stated on social media, as reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The owners described their establishment as a venue run by a “gay, indigenous-descended, trans-inclusive, pro-multicultural, anti-flag, pro-choice, anti-generative AI, Greens voter.” The business announced that any money spent at the cafe by a One Nation member would be donated directly to the Tasmanian Greens.
Lee Hanson Responds to Public Exclusion
Lee Hanson fired back at the cafe’s public stance through her own social media channels, describing the local business’s declaration as a complete shock. She stated that she was genuinely hurt by the public rejection from a spot she had patronized for years.
“If the owners had an issue with me coming into their business, why not simply talk to me? I am a person. I am a local. I am a customer who has supported your business for years,” Lee Hanson wrote, as detailed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. She questioned the irony of preaching inclusivity while singling out customers for their political affiliations.
While asserting that she would continue supporting local Tasmanian enterprises, Lee Hanson drew a firm line against establishments that make patrons feel unwelcome due to differing political beliefs. She argued that political associations should not dictate whether a customer’s presence is acceptable in a commercial venue.
One Nation Uses Generative AI for Political Outreach
The digital advertisement at the center of the controversy forms part of One Nation's strategy to use generative artificial intelligence for political outreach.
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