Qld election 2024: Pauline Hanson’s One Nation’s James Ashby to contest Keppel

Pauline Hanson has revealed the bombshell move her right-hand man will make ahead of next year’s state election.

Senator Pauline Hanson with chief of staff James Ashby. Picture: Martin Ollman/NCA NewsWire

Firebrand One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s right-hand man will contest a key Central Queensland seat at next year’s state election.

Controversial adviser James Ashby has put his hand up to run as One Nation’s candidate in the seat of Keppel, which is based in Yeppoon where he lives.

The electorate of Keppel is currently held by Labor’s Brittany Lauga with a margin of 5.6 per cent, but One Nation has threatened to clinch the seat in recent election cycles — achieving a high of 46.9 per cent on preferences at the 2017 poll.

The party’s fortunes have ebbed and flowed over the years, with The Courier-Mail’s recent YouGov poll showing One Nation’s primary vote stood at 8 per cent, up from 7.1 per cent in 2020.

Senator Hanson resoundingly endorsed Mr Ashby, saying he was passionate about making a difference, and signalled he was the first of a wave of candidates set to be unveiled in coming days.

She also rejected suggestions Mr Ashby was being groomed to succeed her in the Senate, amid increasing speculation Senator Hanson, now 69, would bow out before her term expired in 2028.

“Why would he stand for the seat, for Keppel, if he doesn’t intend to put work into it?” she said.

“I can’t leave the federal parliament because in a lot of way (Senator Malcolm Roberts) and I are the only ones that are really speaking out on issues without fear or favour, to be the voice for the people.

“That’s why I can’t leave the Senate. And this is why it’s important, James will do the same for the state.”

Mr Ashby, a long-time chief-of-staff to Senator Hanson and One Nation backroom deal-maker, said there was a growing consensus the next state election would result in a hung parliament.

“I don’t believe the Opposition can win government in their own right, and therefore they will need to turn to like-minded conservative parties to help them form government,” he said.

“We’ve had the experience, as a result of Pauline and Malcolm shared balance of power in the Senate to actually understand how important it is to have a grounded cross bench that understands their role as a backup to the government of the day.

“In the sense that you can’t take that position for granted, but also you can’t hold them to ransom either.”

Mr Ashby rocketed into the national conscious in 2012 when he launched a sexual harassment case against then federal speaker Peter Slipper.

The saga, dubbed “Ashbygate”, ultimately ended the careers of Mr Slipper and frontbencher Mal Brough, and left Mr Ashby to foot a mammoth multimillion-dollar legal bill.