'Stunned': Emotional PM defends mum against Pauline Hanson remarks

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has become emotional defending his late mother against an "attack" by Pauline Hanson, who criticised the time she spent living in public housing.

Mr Albanese has been open about his upbringing in public housing in Sydney's inner west, where his mother Maryanne Albanese raised him by herself.

Speaking to Karl Stefanovic in February, Ms Hanson labelled the repeated references as "pathetic" and said it was "not on" for people like Ms Albanese to live in housing commission for decades.

"I actually grew up in a street where we had housing commission houses there. It was a helping hand to those people, but they had jobs. And they worked," she told Stefanovic.

"Housing commission houses should not be there for people to live in them for 30, 40 [years] – and he said his mother lived in the same one she was born in for 65 years."

Addressing the remarks on Sunday morning, Mr Albanese said he was stunned by the attack on his mother, who died in 2002.

"If Pauline Hanson wants to criticise me, then that's fine, but my mother was way out of Pauline Hanson's league, way out of it," he said, his bottom lip quivering.

The prime minister said his mother had a caring nature, despite many health challenges, including severe rheumatoid arthritis, which crippled her joints.

The condition meant she and her son relied on a disability pension.

"She was compassionate, not uncaring. She was generous, not mean, and she was kind, not nasty. She was a person of great character," Mr Albanese said. 

"Kindness isn't weakness. Tell you what's weak: nastiness and spitefulness."

He said comments that he complained about growing up in public housing could not be "further from the truth", declaring himself "proud to be a houso".

Calls for Hanson to apologise to PM

Deputy Opposition Leader Andrew Hastie criticised Senator Hanson's comments and said mothers should be left out of politics.

"I think this is a another indicator to the Australian people that she's not fit to be prime minister," he told News24.

"I don't think you should be talking about the late mother of anyone in this game."

Trade Minister Don Farrell labelled the remarks "appalling" and called on Senator Hanson to apologise to Mr Albanese.

I think it was an inappropriate and appalling comment," he told News24.

"Attacking the prime minister's mother like this is not a way to get respect and dignity from your colleagues, and I think Pauline should reflect upon the attack on the prime minister's mother and withdraw those comments and apologise.

"I don't think there's any other way forward for her over this issue."