Peter Beattie explains how to deal with Paul Hanson and One Nation

FORMER Queensland premier Peter Beattie had planned to avoid questions on politics at the Media Club lunch, but then the topic of One Nation was raised.

QUEENSLAND politicians need to deal with the re-emergence of One Nation by addressing the concerns of those who support it, former premier Peter Beattie says.

Mr Beattie’s 1998 minority government had to work with 11 One Nation MPs and he said there was “no doubt” a feeling of mistrust in major political parties was currently strong.

It was at a higher level than in 1998, he told a Queensland Media Club lunch on Friday.

“Whoever wins the next election will be the party that engages the supporters of One Nation,” Mr Beattie said.

“That is, deals with anxieties that they have.

“That’s what we did in 1998 and beyond.”

The former premier had initially said he would avoid questions of politics, but his advice about current circumstances was based on history.

One Nation supporters, Mr Beattie said, were people whose worries included job security, their families, their futures and their place in a post-mining boom world.

He said political parties of all persuasions had a duty to consider the long-term interests of the state.

Former Queensland Premier Peter Beattie spoke about dealing with One Nation at the Queensland Media Club lunch. File picture

“They have to be principled about their positions,” he said.

The success of Senator Pauline Hanson, who now leads the One Nation party as part of a team of four senators, at the July federal election has consistently fuelled speculation about the role the party will play in the next Queensland poll, due by early 2018.

The Labor Party has ruled out doing any preference deals with Senator Hanson’s party, however the Liberal National Party has repeatedly skirted around the question by saying it is a matter for the state executive.

However, LNP President Gary Spence in August hinted strongly that One Nation would be placed higher than Labor in any preference agreement. Former state LNP backbencher Neil Symes recently revealed on his Instagram account that he had joined One Nation, while LNP MP Steve Dickson this month invited Ms Hanson to his Buderim electorate to talk about local road issues.

Meanwhile, Mr Beattie announced at the Queensland Media Club lunch that the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games could deliver double the official estimate of $2 billion worth of economic activity.

Mr Beattie, the event chairman, says the games could rake in between $3 billion and $4 billion and he’s feeling more optimistic about the Australian and world economies because of movement in the coal price.

“My humble view is that’s a very modest figure,” he said.