Please Enjoy Penny Wong Ripping Into A Liberal Minister Comparing Her To Pauline Hanson

Whew. That was heated. In a budget estimates hearing this morning, Labor senator Penny Wong went in on Finance Minister Mathias Cormann for likening her to Pauline Hanson.

Wong was in the middle of questioning Cormann on negotiations he had with the One Nation leader about the government’s corporate tax cut policy.

Here’s how it all went down:

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Cormann: … I know that you always like channeling senator Hanson.

Wong: Actually that’s a little offensive. She thinks people like me were swamping Australia. No – we don’t channel Pauline Hanson. You’re the ones that cosy up to her and let her write tax policy and government policy.

Cormann tries to interject.

Wong: Don’t tell me I channel Pauline Hanson. I find that personally offensive. I can tell you what happened to me and my family and people like us, when she stood up in the parliament — possibly before you were here — saying Australia was in danger of being swamped by Asians. I will never do anything other than fight her.

Cormann: We take our responsibility seriously to achieve a consensus for the economic growth agenda that we took to the last election.

Wong: Well I’m offended. You should withdraw it.

Cormann: I did not want to cause offence, senator, you know that.

Wong: You should withdraw that. Saying to someone Asian that you’re “channeling Pauline Hanson”?

Cormann: That is confected outrage.

Wong: It is not confected!

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The government’s corporate tax cut plan is on shaky ground after Hanson announced today that she won’t be supporting the legislation. The LNP had been hoping to strike a deal with One Nation on the policy.

You can watch the video of Wong and Cormann’s exchange below: