View from the Hill: Has Hanson flown too close to the sun for some One Nation supporters?
- Written by: Weekend Times
Many Pauline Hanson supporters judge her by standards very different from those they apply to other politicians. For them, she’s a medium through which to register their general feelings of grievance and
alienation. So they don’t care much if she flouts ordinary rules.
But is there a limit to this tolerance – a limit Hanson has tested with her recent behaviour? In the past, Barnaby Joyce has warned those over-hyping One Nation’s prospects of the danger of flying “too close to the sun”. Will some supporters see Hanson to have been doing just that in the company she’s kept during her current overseas trip?
The publicity out of Britain and Europe stretches the patience of Joyce. He insisted to Nine on Friday, “Pauline’s doing a great job as the leader. We’re good mates, we talk all the time and I find it a very easy, constructive relationship to be in as far as politics goes, to be quite frank”.
Others might call it a rough political marriage. But still not nearly as rough as his previous relationship with then Nationals’ leader David Littleproud.
Joyce, not a stranger to going OTT on occasion, nevertheless can’t but be concerned at his leader’s judgement, to say nothing of the problem also being caused by One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts as debate swirls around his penchant for conspiracy theories.
Nor would Joyce be much impressed by Hanson continuing to talk up her daughter Lee Hanson as a potential future head of One Nation.
Leaders are judged in part by who they choose to associate with – and British far-right figure Tommy Robinson is definitely not someone of good repute, personally or politically.
Appearing on Robinson’s podcast, in a mutual admiration chat, Hanson was unfiltered, alleging Muslims are exploiting the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
“A lot of people come into Australia purely for the welfare system, or to get on our NDIS,” she said.
When Robinson asked the nationality or origins of these people, Hanson said:
A lot of them are ripping the system off, who are a lot from the Muslim areas, and they’re getting on the scheme. But there’s a lot of Aussies too – other Aussies. So I’m not just going to pick them out.
“But it is quite known that in the Muslim streets, you’ve got quite a lot in that street who are on the NDA scheme, so we know that it’s actually happening.”
She also claimed Sharia law was operating in Australia.
It was the latest in her years of targeting Muslims.
Joyce defends the appearance with Robinson, saying Robinson would not be the figure he is if there was not the schism in Britain between “the Judeo-Christian premise and the Islamist premise – and we do not want that in Australia”.
If Tommy Robinson was unquestionably bad company to keep, by enjoying Gina Rinehart’s company at a luxury resort in Sicily and an upmarket fashion show, Hanson sent out an off-key message.
A while ago Rinehart gave Hanson a plane. That attracted controversy and criticism but Hanson’s supporters probably buy her line that the plane enables her to get around to remote places to meet the voters.
However the pictures of her swanning around a pool with Rinehart might jar with some of these same supporters who laud her as a woman of the people empathising with their struggles in hard times.
Will they start to think this leader they’ve believed isn’t like the rest of the political class is getting too big for her boots?
It’s notable, incidentally, how often and quickly politicians respond to what some say are virtual summonses from Rinehart. Remember Peter Dutton dashing across the continent for a brief appearance at a Rinehart party? Say no, and maybe there is not so much Rinehart political largesse available. And what’s it about from Rinehart’s end? Is it an assertion of the power of money, or a sign of personal loneliness?
Hanson has given the Seven Network’s Spotlight program special access during her travels, including to the recording of the podcast. That will kick along the publicity – not necessarily in a good way.
As it’s played out, Hanson’s overseas odyssey smacks of a risky personal indulgence. Coming polls will test whether it has been counter productive.
FOOTNOTE: Barnaby Joyce is going abroad next week, accompanied by three of his four daughters, to meet the parents of his fourth daughter’s French boyfriend. Where are they getting together? Sicily, as it happens. But they are not expecting Gina.
Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
