Hanson 'pagan': Costello

REVEREND Tim Costello, brother of Federal Treasurer Peter Costello, will denounce Pauline Hanson as a cowardly and un-Australian pagan when he addresses the inaugural Gold Coast Prayer Day at Carrara stadium today.

Rev Costello, guest speaker at the rally which is expected to be attended by thousands of Gold Coast Christians, said One Nation was 'essentially a form of paganism'.

Speaking from his Melbourne headquarters yesterday, Rev Costello said he would be touching on One Nation in his 15 minute address.

He said One Nation had 'one positive side' in that it had hightlighted the suffering of people in the bush as a result of structual changes to the economy.

But the party had made 'scapegoats' of the most vunerable people in society -- Asians and Aborigines.

"This is cowardly", he said. "It is foreign to the Australian sense of a fair go and foreign to the Christian faith. One Nation is essentially paganism."

Rev Costello would not comment on a GST.