One Nation senator to take legal action against Fairfax Media over University of Newcastle claims
PAULINE Hanson has lost another senator after Fraser Anning officially announced his split from the party, while another One Nation member is set to launch legal action against a newspaper.
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PAULINE Hanson has lost another senator after Fraser Anning officially announced his split from the party, while another One Nation member is set to launch legal action against a newspaper.
Senator Hanson has signalled One Nation senator Brian Burston will be launching legal action against a media organisation over a report that suggested he misled parliament by saying he was a lecturer at Newcastle University.
Fairfax Media yesterday reported the NSW One Nation senator was refusing to answer questions about whether he was lying about being a lecturer for the university and whether he misled parliament with the claims in his maiden speech.
The publication reported the university had confirmed Senator Burston was never employed by them.
Senator Hanson this morning indicated Senator Burston would launch defamation proceedings against Fairfax Media over the report.
“What was reported in the paper was not correct and now they will be looking at a defamation case,” the One Nation leader said on Channel Seven’s Sunrise program this morning.
She said Senator Burston would make an announcement regarding legal action later this week.
Meanwhile, One Nation has officially lost its senate replacement for Malcolm Roberts today.
Senator Fraser Anning made a short statement this morning informing the senate of his resignation from the party and his intention to sit as an independent, representing rural and regional Queensland.
Senator Hanson has written to the Senate President Scott Ryan recommending Senator Anning be referred to the High Court over his alleged “bankrupt” status.
But the major parties won’t support the referral and Senator Anning — who had a bankruptcy petition against him withdrawn last year — denied having any eligibility problems.
The party has now lost three senators since the 2016 federal election; Mr Roberts through citizenship concerns, Senator Anning through tensions with Senator Hanson and Rod Culleton also over internal tensions.
Mr Culleton was later replaced by Senator Peter Georgiou, after he was disqualified from the senate for a larceny conviction at the time of the election.
One Nation now has three senate seats, reducing Senator Hanson’s bargaining power in negotiations with the government.
Senator Burston has indicated he will stand by his comments over his former career in a speech to parliament this week.
The senator told Fairfax Media yesterday that he had worked at Newcastle College of Advanced Education, which was on the Newcastle University campus, but he was employed by TAFE and lectured trainee TAFE teachers.
The College later “transitioned to the university”, he said.
“I was paid my TAFE salary and an increment comparable to a university wage because of the work I was doing,” he told the publication.
“I was recognised as a Newcastle University lecturer.”
Senator Burston said he had not misled the Senate.
“I was certainly there. I was there for four years. I never said I was employed by the university. I said I lectured at Newcastle University,” he said.
One Nation’s profile for Senator Burston on its website states: “Brian’s teaching background saw him lecture in Engineering Drawing at Sydney and Newcastle TAFE for 10 years, before joining the faculty at Newcastle University for [four] years.”