Fraser Anning quitting One Nation is history repeating: Watt
LABOR’S Murray Watt says One Nation Senator Fraser Anning quitting the party the day he was sworn in is a ‘repeat of 1998’. So who is Fanning, and why has he walked out on One Nation?
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NEW One Nation Senator Fraser Anning quitting the party the day he was sworn in is a “repeat of 1998”, according to Labor Senator Murray Watt.
Senator Anning is the second One Nation Senator to quit the party since it was swept back to power in 2016, after Rod Culleton resigned shortly before he was found to be ineligible.
Senator Watt said the defections were “simply history repeating itself”.
“Back in 1998 when One Nation were elected to 11 seats of the state parliament, within about 12 months each and every one of those members had resigned and either gone independent or joined another party,” he said.
“We’re seeing that all over again.”
“Every time One Nation members are elected to Parliament, whether it be the Queensland Parliament or here in Canberra they end up walking out causing chaos and wreckage on their way out.
“People sign up to One Nation, they start working out it’s not what they signed up for and then they pull the pin or they end up getting forced out.”
Senator Watt linked the resignation to the State Election campaign, where Opposition leader Tim Nicholls will not rule out preference deals with One Nation or governing with their support.
“If One Nation and Pauline Hanson are not good enough for their own new Senator, how can they possibly be good enough for Tim Nicholls,” he said.
Senator Watt said it was unknown how Senator Anning would vote.
After the 1998 state election where 11 One Nation MPs were elected, one quit, five created the City Country Alliance, four turned independent and the final MP created their own party of which they were the only member.
A spokesman for Senator Hanson struck back, pointing out MPs who quit or were expelled from the Labor Party under a cloud.
“We’ve seen Craig Thompson, Gordon Nuttal, Billy Gordon, Rob Pyne, Rick Williams and a raft of others disgrace Labor, but the unknown Queensland Senator forgets that his party have over 100 years of history of these types of people walking away from his party,” he said.
“I expect nothing less of Labor in their attack of One Nation during this state election period.”
Who is Fraser Anning
Fraser Anning is a businessman who came from a cattle grazing family in North Queensland.
Senator Anning was the third candidate on One Nation’s Senate ticket in the 2016 election, where he received 19 primary votes.
He was catapulted into the Senate after the High Court ruled former Senator Malcolm Roberts election void and ordered a special recount of the ballot.
Senator Anning is the director of two companies, FNF Nominees and Gazelle Rentals, the latter being under external administration.
He had a bankruptcy case against him, but creditors withdrew their application against him in October.
His wife is Fiona Ruth Anning and he has two children.
In 1998 he ran for One Nation in the Federal seat of Fairfax but lost to the Liberal Party’s Alex Somlyay.
He recently told The Australian newspaper he was a climate change sceptic and believed Islam was an “ideology of hate”.
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