Judy Brewer, widow of former Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals leader Tim Fischer has publicly challenged Pauline Hanson to produce evidence for her claim that her late husband once called Hanson a witch and said she should be burned at the stake. The demand for proof places a sharp factual spotlight on a remark Hanson made during a controversy that has already drawn condemnation from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and former PM Julia Gillard.
The dispute erupted in the middle of a broader row over “Ditch the Witch” billboard trucks being driven around Melbourne, depicting Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan wearing a pointed hat.
How the Claim Was Made and Why It Is Now Being Contested
Digital billboards mounted on the sides of trucks, reportedly paid for by local businesses including a brothel, have been circling Melbourne streets since May 2026, depicting Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan wearing a witch’s hat alongside the “Ditch the Witch” slogan.
Allan, who faces re-election as Labor leader at the Victorian state election in November 2026, condemned the billboards as sexist, saying she could not stand back and allow Victoria to become a place where that kind of language is considered acceptable against women in leadership.
Hanson’s response to Allan’s objections, delivered in a Sky News interview on June 9, was brief and blunt. The One Nation leader told the Victorian Premier to “suck it up, sweetheart,” drawing on her own history of public attacks to argue that Allan should toughen up. In making her case, Hanson stated: “If you’ve seen what’s happened to me over the years, I remember years ago, former Nationals leader Tim Fischer called me a witch and said I should be burned at the stake. So I’ve been tagged that long before you.”
Hanson then turned her fire directly on Allan’s political position. She added: “Besides, Jacinta, I’ve heard on the grapevine you won’t be there in a couple of weeks. Don’t worry about the billboard anymore… it’ll be blank because you won’t have your photo up there. You’ll be gone.”
Those remarks about Allan’s leadership were not idle speculation. A poll taken around the same period found that 62 per cent of those surveyed believed Allan should be replaced before the November state election, with only 53 per cent of Labor voters calling for her to remain as Premier.
Judy Brewer Steps In to Defend Her Late Husband’s Name
It was Hanson’s specific claim about Tim Fischer that prompted his widow to go public. Judy Brewer who married Fischer in 1992 and remained by his side until his death in August 2019 has challenged Hanson to provide any evidence that Fischer made such a statement, questioning whether the claim has any basis in fact.
Tim Fischer served as leader of the National Party from 1990 to 1999 and as Deputy Prime Minister in the Howard government from 1996. One of the defining political battles of his career was repelling the electoral threat Pauline Hanson’s One Nation was posing to the Nationals in 1998 and throughout that contest, he refused to capitulate on racially selective immigration and gave the insurgents no quarter as they threatened the party’s heartland seats in New South Wales and Queensland.
Fischer was unwavering in his advocacy for gun law reform and stayed the course despite being targeted for abuse and threats a period that qualified as one of his most meritorious contributions to public life. Those who knew Fischer well describe him as principled and combative in policy terms but not given to inflammatory personal language of the kind Hanson has attributed to him.
Judy Brewer, who holds the post-nominal AO (Officer of the Order of Australia), has continued to honour her husband’s legacy since his death, including speaking at events associated with the Tim Fischer Fellowship, which supports young people from regional communities. Her willingness to enter the current political fray is a reflection of how seriously she takes the claim being made against his name.
A Controversy With Deeper Political Currents
The wider “Ditch the Witch” episode has drawn strong reactions across the political spectrum. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warned that such personal attacks on politicians could lead to real-world violence, saying: “You don’t have to denigrate people in such a personal way. It has got to stop.” He added: “What I don’t want to do is to have a press conference in this courtyard after a tragedy.”
Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard who was herself the target of the same “Ditch the Witch” slogan during her time in office issued a rare public political statement in response to the Allan billboards, drawing a direct parallel between then and now.
Hanson, for her part, has shown no inclination to walk back her comments. For her, the Fischer claim was offered as evidence that she has endured similar treatment for decades and that Allan’s complaints are neither new nor unique. Whether that claim holds up under scrutiny – particularly now that Fischer’s widow has publicly demanded the proof – is a question that remains unanswered.
For background on the original “Ditch the Witch” controversy that targeted Julia Gillard, ABC News’ archive on political language and gender in Australian politics provides extensive historical context.
Google User Data Australia: What the Numbers Show →
Africa’s Unicorn Companies 2026 →
Tim Fischer died in August 2019 after a battle with acute myeloid leukaemia. He cannot respond. His widow can and she has.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.