One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson talks tough in Canberra, but an act of kindness for a mum and her daughter shows she also has a heart of gold.
One Nation firebrand Pauline Hanson has shocked a working Queensland mum with a striking act of kindness, agreeing to personally shell out for a surgical operation to help the mother’s nine-year-old daughter get back on track in life.
Mum Kahlia Byrnes’ daughter Kadee suffers from chronic tonsillitis and has reportedly waited seven years for procedure at a public hospital to fix the distressing condition.
Ms Hanson said she was “disgusted” to hear about the wait time and at a public event near Yeppoon in Central Queensland on Monday, revealed to Ms Byrnes she would personally cover the cost for a private operation.
“Straight away I said, we’re going to get this operation done,” she told media.
She then turned to the Ms Byrnes and said: “Kahlia you don’t know, I’m paying for it. It’s not right.”
Ms Byrnes thanked Ms Hanson and hugged her.
“I just want her (Kadee) to have the surgery so she stops being sick all the time, she doesn’t want to be sick herself,” she said.
“She’s just miserable when she’s sick all the time.
“I’m very happy that it is going to end this way and that she is finally going to have a surgery and she is going to able to live a life as a normal nine-year-old.”
Ms Hanson blamed the Queensland Labor government for the wait times.
In a statement to 7News, Central Queensland Health and Hospital Service chief executive Lisa Blackler acknowledged the “challenges” families faced while waiting to access health care.
“The longest category 2 patient waiting for ENT surgery at Rockhampton Hospital is currently 249 days,” she said.