News and politics live updates: One Nation leader Pauline Hanson speaks at National Press Club in Canberra

Pauline Hanson has been quizzed on her views about abortion and whether she would support setting time limits on when pregnant women can have the procedure.

Senator Hanson has told the press club that “it’s a discussion that needs to be had” but declared that aborting a baby “the day before birth is abhorrent and disgusting”.

“That’s what I oppose, and that’s what many, you know, common sense Australians believe.”

“I’m not advocating the time at this stage, but I can tell you, even from 20 weeks, I think it’s too, too late to have an abortion”

“But definitely, you know, 39 weeks to have an abortion that is clearly not humane”.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has labelled government ministers “incompetent” and insisted the public service is “poorly run”.

“I’ve spoken to them on the floor of Parliament, and I listen to their comments. They are incompetent, and they are useless,” she told the National Press Club on Wednesday.

“They don’t know what they’re doing, they don’t know how to run their portfolios, and they rely on the departments and the bureaucrats to give them the information.

“The public service has been, I think, poorly run for a long, long time.”

She also told the Press Club that she “loves” her work but tried to stay out of Canberra as much as possible. It comes as she was criticised recently for her low attendance in Senate Estimates.

Pauline Hanson has blasted a reporter from The Guardian who questioned the Senator about whether she approved a $150,000 taxpayer funded job for her daughter Lee Hanson.

Journalist Sarah Martin, who regularly writes about One Nation, posed the question to the party leader following her press club address.

“Honestly, you never give up. I’ve never seen a person that’s such a trashy journalist,” Senator Hanson responded.

“What you put out all the time, you’ve got this obsession with constantly trying to pull down myself, my party, or Mrs. Rinehart.”

“Whatever you do, you will be banned,” Senator Hanson warned Ms Martin.

“I didn’t get her that job, she got the job on her own merits by someone who actually wanted to employ her”.

The audience responded with applause to Ms Hanson’s takedown.

Pauline Hanson says One Nation is “scrutinised a hell of a lot more” than other parties after she was asked about vetting processes.

The question at the National Press Club comes after the party had a string of controversies with candidates and organisational staff.

“I think One Nation is scrutinised a hell of a lot more than any other political party,” she said.

“The focus has always been on us… you really need to have a look at the other political parties (and) the problems that they’ve had over the years.

“Don’t forget that I’ve only been back running this party again since 2015.

“(Before that) we didn’t have the big machine behind us, so we’ve actually had to build that. Now we’ve improved our resources.”

One Nation’s leader has been asked if she still opposes foreign aid, particularly given China’s rising influence in the Pacific.

Pauline Hanson responded by arguing that many pacific partners have accepted aid from both the Australian government and Beijing.

“You talk about the Chinese, the amount of money that we’ve helped with our Pacific partners, and we’ve given them foreign aid.”

“That’s like they’ve said to us, ‘Up you, we’re actually going to just, you know, take the Chinese and have them here.’ There has to be give and take.”

Senator Hanson then warns that Australia must recognise the “threat” posed by Beijing.

“We cannot disregard China. We have to realise the threat that it could be in our vicinity.”

One of the questions put to Pauline Hanson at the National Press Club was about comments she made recently in the wake of a ‘ditch the witch’ campaign against Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan.

The One Nation leader had told the State Labor leader to “suck it up, sweetheart” and claimed former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer had called her a ‘witch from Ipswich’ in a 1990s newspaper.

Veteran journalist Michelle Grattan said that the widow of Mr Fischer had denied these claims and was upset they had re-emerged in recent weeks.

Senator Hanson said she was confident the late Mr Fischer had made the comments but said she couldn’t recall what year she had read them.

Pauline Hanson has declined to commit to holding daily press conferences with journalists during the next election campaign.

Asked at the National Press Club whether she would allow scrutiny like other political leaders in elections, Ms Hanson said she is yet to decide.

“I’m not going to be anyone’s football to kick around,” Senator Hanson replied.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has called for the “mainstream media” to “scrutinise” her but not “pile on” while staring down Canberra journalists at the National Press Club.

“I have a few more words for the mainstream media. One Nation’s new support brings with it much greater responsibility. I get that,” she said.

“It’s your job to scrutinise my party, its people and its policies. Unlike the Prime Minister, I welcome it.

“I’m an elected representative and I should be scrutinised.

“That doesn’t give you the license to pile on. It doesn’t give you the license to delegitimise my party.

“It doesn’t give you the licence to say preferencing One Nation is immoral. It doesn’t give you the license to continue to repeat the lie that we are a racist party - because that is untrue.

“The Australian people can make up their own mind. And they are.”

Pauline Hanson claims she’s standing up for Aussies who “are frightened” of speaking up, insisting civil debate has been “paralysed” in Australia.

In a vow to protect freedom of speech she accused the media of being “complicit in amplifying this fear”.

“Every attempt has been made for years to silence me. I don’t fear it. I embrace it.

“But many people aren’t like me. In Australia today, in our democracy, the real tragedy is people are frightened of what will happen to them if they just speak up.

“Civil debate is paralysed. And the media are complicit in amplifying this fear.

“But now they are finding the courage to embrace One Nation.

“Many people feel that they can’t indulge that essential Australian characteristic of speaking out and speaking up because the risk of speaking out is simply too great.

“They feel demonised and condescended. And they’re mad as hell about it.

“This won’t happen if One Nation is given a say in government.

“If I sound defiant, yes I am. Am I committed, you bet I am.”

The President of the National Press Club has urged Pauline Hanson to wrap up her address to allow time for questions.

Typically guests who address the press club speak for half an hour, and then take questions from reporters in the room.

The One Nation leader’s address has now run well over 45 minutes, prompting NPC President Tom Connell to suggest she summarise her remarks.

“I’ve only got a few pages left,” she replied