Pauline Hanson befriended Valmae Beck (also known as Fay Cramb) while both were inmates in Brisbane Women's Prison in 2003 during Hanson's short sentence for electoral fraud (later overturned on appeal).
Beck was convicted in 1988 for her role in the abduction, rape and murder of 12-year-old Sian Kingi alongside her then-husband Barrie Watts.
Hanson has publicly said they "hit it off," described Beck as a "lovely person" who was sorry for her crimes, sent her letters and Christmas cards after release, and refused to apologise, calling the friendship helpful during a difficult time.
Whether that's strange is subjective—prison dynamics can produce unexpected bonds, but the crime's severity has made it a long-running point of criticism.