One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts meets with Trump staffers in US

A ONE Nation senator has spent the week in the US building contacts with powerful Trump staffers in a bid to replicate similar political tactics in Australia.

One Nation is building a US-based network of powerful contacts tied to the rise of Trump. Picture: ABC/Twitter

EXCLUSIVE

ONE Nation is building a US-based network of powerful contacts tied to the rise of Trump that the party will liaise with as it harnesses similar political moves to capture dissatisfied voters.

As One Nation continues to establish itself as a mainstream political operative poised to tap into the same anti-establishment sentiment that swept Donald Trump to power, Queensland Senator Malcolm Roberts spent this week in Washington DC meeting Trump allies and building contacts with their staffers.

The network of powerful US conservatives included staffers of President Elect Trump’s nominee for Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who is set to become one of the new administration’s powerful cabinet members.

Senator Roberts also met prominent DC tax lobbyist Grover Norquist who has endorsed the Trump tax plan, as well as Mr Trump’s appointee to lead the transition team for the Environmental Protection Agency Myron Ebell and several high profile climate change sceptics.

One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts spent the week in the US building contacts with Trump staffers. Picture: AAP

Other meetings were held about climate change scepticism with staff of US Senator Jim Inhofe, another Trump ally who advised the billionaire during the election campaign.

Senator Roberts said he’d concentrated on building connections with key players and their staffers involved in Mr Trump’s transition to government and that they’d focused on commonalities in policies on tax, climate, banking and the use of social media to reach out to every day voters.

“We’ve met people interested in taxation, we’ve also talked to people about climate change, we’ll stay in touch with them. We’ll be staying in touch with people in researching the banking sector, social media — we’ll be staying in touch with all of these people.

“So we can pick up the phone and call people and they can put us in touch with whoever ends up working in (some of Trump’s) departments,” he said.

He said the Trump campaign had particularly provided inspiration on the use of social media by One Nation, and that he’d made fresh contacts in that space too.

“The other thing Trump did was use social media very effectively,” Senator Roberts said.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has praised Donald Trump’s leadership before, saying she could see aspects of herself reflected in the President-elect. Picture: AP

“That’s something (Pauline Hanson’s media adviser) James Ashby has taught us and continues to teach us. I learnt a few more things and met some really good contacts for that in particular (in DC) and we’ll be doing more work with them.”

Ms Hanson has already secured the backing and advice of entrepreneur Dick Smith on population policy as the party works broadly to build its support base.

Senator Roberts also addressed a libertarian think tank event in Washington DC, where he said he’d found support for One Nation’s own anti-establishment message.

“I’ve said very bluntly this talk about left wing versus right wing — this talk of conservatives versus progressive — is old hat,” he said.

“It’s now a debate between those who want to seek control and those who want freedom. I mentioned that in three public addresses … and people’s eyes lit up. And I realised we’re on to something very very powerful there.”

Mr Roberts said he’d paid for the trip himself.

Senator Roberts met with a powerful network of US conservatives, including staffers of President Elect Trump’s nominee for Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Picture: AP