When sent out to do a cleanup job, it usually helps to not make the mess even worse.

It took One Nation six separate attempts over nearly 24 hours to clarify the basic details of their policy on foreign ownership of housing. Between Thursday night and Friday afternoon, the story turned from bizarre to farcical, with attempts to clarify the policy just making the situation murkier as Australians watched:

• a Barnaby Joyce interview;

• a quick do-over on Sky News on Thursday;

• a Pauline Hanson social media update on Friday morning;

• a Sean Bell interview, again on Sky, on Friday;

• and then a 2GB spot;

• before a written press release from Bell on Friday afternoon

… which finally put some meat on the bones of the one-sentence policy on their website.

They weren’t quite Jaymes Diaz levels of wilting under pressure, or Tony Abbott going non-verbal with Seven’s Mark Riley. But Joyce’s misstating of the policy, and Bell’s botched attempts at a cleanup, were a reminder that while Hanson’s party is leading in the polls, it has a long way to go before being recognised as a serious political outfit.

One Nation is surging, without doubt. There’s a long way to the next election, but if one were held today, Hanson could all but wipe the Nationals off the electoral map and potentially open the kind of schism which could see our traditionally “two-party system” become a relic of the past.

But stumbling at the first hint of basic policy scrutiny gives a whiff of why One Nation has risen and fallen in the past. Are familiar cracks starting to emerge?

“Foreigners and temporary visa holders” – crucially, not permanent residents, as Joyce originally erroneously claimed – would be banned from owning any residential dwelling under One Nation’s policy, while existing owners “would be issued a disposal order” to sell the property within two years, according to the statement from Bell’s office.

The detail Bell had earlier twice failed to state – leading 2GB host Mark Levy to cut their interview short, calling it a “trainwreck” – was that One Nation would seek to use major fines or imprisonment for non-residents who failed to dispose of their property.

“Those who fail to comply with a disposal order face serious consequences under the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975, including fines equivalent to double the capital gain or 50% of the acquisition price or market value, whichever is greater. Those who refuse to comply face up to 10 years imprisonment.”

It is unclear why it took nearly a full day after Joyce’s Sky After Dark stumble for this information to be released publicly. In his second attempt at explaining, Joyce said the policy was “formative”; host Andrew Bolt claimed “One Nation is literally making up policy as it goes along”.

In anticipation of criticism from Hanson’s supporters, these are not nitpicking annoying questions. The last month has been devoted to examining every facet of the government’s tax changes, with media reporting going down various rabbit holes to probe how they would affect Australians down to the most niche cohort. Think, too, of the granular focus on how Peter Dutton’s policy of tax-deductible business lunches would affect pub dinners as opposed to tenpin bowling and that the cost of catering at football games would be covered while tickets at the gate would not.

Joyce has twice served as deputy prime minister and Bolt’s questioning on Sky – while persistent – wasn’t aggressive or “gotcha” journalism. This is basic political reporting, and basic questions that seasoned politicians – especially ones leading in published opinion polls – should be able to answer. Anthony Albanese and Angus Taylor front up to media interviews and press conferences multiple times a week.

One Nation is polling like a major party. It must now start being treated like one. Hanson claims she is ready to be prime minister, but that role comes with as many responsibilities as it does perks.

Dutton tried to coast to The Lodge on the back of what was an unpopular first-term Labor government, attempting to duck accountability, turning to his safe spaces with friendly media and biting back against scrutiny from the “hate media”.

Hanson and One Nation say they want to “fight for Australia and its citizens”, with the party this week saying online “we’re determined to provide the leadership and change the country desperately needs”.

Key members of the team being able to explain basic policy details should be an obvious first step.