Hanson weathers the One Nation storm

At least five agencies and several ministers are weighing up allegations against Pauline Hanson's One Nation.

Pauline Hanson has never been far from controversy in her political career.

But there are signs her One Nation party machine may be careering from controversy to oblivion.

Hanson herself has a reasonable chance of political survival - her six-year term expires in June 2022.

But team members Brian Burston (NSW), Malcolm Roberts (Qld) and Peter Georgiou (WA), who are up for re-election at the next half-Senate poll expected in late 2018, will face a tough fight to hold their seats.

And the party machine itself may collapse around her.

The Australian Federal Police, Queensland police, Australian Electoral Commission, Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission, Attorney-General George Brandis, Justice Minister Michael Keenan, Special Minister of State Scott Ryan and the Electoral Commission of Queensland are all examining allegations against One Nation.

Labor shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus summed up the situation in a question to the prime minister in parliament this week.

"This year there have been allegations that One Nation failed to declare the donation of a $106,000 plane, adopted a constitution which breached electoral laws and conspired to defraud electoral authorities," Dreyfus said.

Malcolm Turnbull has asked the AFP, Attorney-General and Justice ministers to consider allegations One Nation conspired to defraud money from Queensland electoral authorities by using inflated receipts.

The AEC is understood to be looking at the issue of an aircraft, which Hanson used during the election campaign and piloted by her chief of staff James Ashby, and the party constitution.

Further, Sean Black - a media adviser and a key contact within the party, Sean Black, is facing assault charges before a Queensland court.

Since delivering four Senate seats in 2016, Hanson has had a rocky path, but also some success.

Her West Australian colleague Rod Culleton was disqualified from sitting in parliament by the High Court because of a pre-existing larceny conviction.

Despite the ructions, her party secured three upper house seats in the March WA state election, albeit none in the lower house.

Her sole Queensland MP Steve Dickson faces re-election later this year in a state where the party is polling at 17 per cent.

One thing in the party's favour is support from the Liberals - the party Hanson represented when she first ran for parliament in 1996.

A preference deal between the Liberals and One Nation in WA helped limit the swing against the Barnett government in Liberal seats, but Labor successfully exploited the deal to cause damage to its opponents.

The Queensland LNP is weighing up whether the benefits of a similar preference deal will outweigh another Labor campaign pointing to the dangers of an LNP-One Nation coalition.

At a federal level, the Turnbull government heavily relies on the support of Hanson and her colleagues to get legislation through the Senate.

Attorney-General George Brandis acknowledged the relationship in a recent interview: "We find Pauline and her colleagues good to work with. They understand the government's point of view."

Brandis, a Queensland senator and LNP powerbroker, told a Senate committee this week he was in regular contact with Hanson and her chief of staff, and last year had Christmas drinks with Ashby.

What is raising eyebrows is the attorney-general - a key negotiator for the government in the Senate - will be advising the prime minister on how to handle allegations against One Nation.

Mitigating this is the fact is that so many different, independent agencies are casting an eye over Hanson's party.

Ashby has conceded he suggested buying campaign material and then selling the products to candidates at more than double the price, with the party then lodging full-price receipts with the ECQ, to get back more money than One Nation had paid out.

However, he and Hanson are adamant it was merely "brainstorming" and not acted upon.

The One Nation leader isn't fazed by the scandals.

Her ultra-loyal supporters stand by her as the "mainstream media" and "political elite" conspire against her - just as the same conspirators concocted the ideas of climate change and multiculturalism.

But Hanson may be the last woman standing after authorities complete their investigations.

As she said this week: "I'm going to ride this out."


Share

4 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world