Explosive past of James Ashby, the man hoping to win Keppel for One Nation
If Pauline Hanson’s ‘favourite son’ James Ashby takes the scenic Queensland seat of Keppel, locals and the media might be in for some ‘explosive’ moments, writes Mark Furler.
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If Pauline Hanson’s ‘favourite son’ James Ashby takes the seat of Keppel on Saturday, locals and the media might be in for some ‘explosive’ moments, if history is anything to go by.
The 45-year-old former radio presenter comes with considerable political baggage and has had a reputation for a bad temper, at times.
In 2012, I remember well Mr Ashby, in a fit of rage, throwing the mobile phone of one of my journalists into the bushes after his then boss, former Speaker Peter Slipper was asked a question about his enormous expenses.
Mr Slipper did not answer the question, but instead walked away.
The Sunshine Coast Daily had been asking the Speaker’s office for details of Mr Slipper’s expenses for weeks.
Thousands had signed a petition asking for an audit of Mr Slipper’s expenses after it was revealed he was one of the biggest spending MPs in Australia with about $640,000 in expenses in just six months.
In the same year, Mr Ashby became a national figure with his claims he had been sexually harassed by Mr Slipper which included sexual advances, several suggestive text messages.
Mr Ashby later dropped his lawsuit against Mr Slipper, saying it had been “intense and emotionally draining.” Mr Slipper denied the allegations.
Seven years later in 2019, Mr Ashby again made national headlines for his explosive temper.
He was temporarily barred from Parliament House after a public scuffle with former One Nation senator Brian Burston.
ASHBY IN GUN LOBBY STING
Controversy followed Mr Ashby to America the same year when he and One Nation’s Steve Dickson were targeted in an attempted sting operation by a journalist who was posing as an Australian gun rights lobbyist.
They were captured on video appearing to discuss how $10 million could win eight Senate seats in Australia and allow One Nation to hold the balance of power.
The two men later laughed off any suggestion of impropriety, saying they had been drinking scotches for three or four hours when they made the comments.
Mr Ashby said “we were on the sauce”, “we’d had a few drinks” and “got a bit carried away” but say they went there with good intentions.
Prior to political life, Mr Ashby worked in regional radio stations.
But in 2002 he quit a Newcastle FM station after allegations he had verbally harassed a presenter at rival station in four offensive telephone calls.
As revealed in a High Steaks interview in June, Ms Hanson is super fond of her pilot, political colleague and friend of a decade.
“When James calls, and my kids answer the phone at home, they always yell out ‘Mum, it’s your favourite son on the phone!’,’’ Ms Hanson says of him.
Brittany Lauga, the woman trying to cling onto Keppel for Labor, has also been not far from the headlines.
Ms Lauga made a police complaint that she was drugged and sexually assaulted on Sunday, April 28. To date no charges have been laid by police.
A grainy video shot by bystanders and widely circulated on social media shows a man and the female MP in the Anzac Parade, Yeppoon carpark across from The Strand Hotel.
For his part Mr Ashby says he has called Central Queensland his home for much of his adult life.
“I came to Central Queensland in my late teens and fell in love with it. This is a place where people are genuine, where business can still be done on the trust of a handshake, where there’s no pretentiousness,’’ he says on his election profile.
“I love the laid-back casualness of this community, the coastal lifestyle, the islands and the water. For me, this is the best part of Queensland and Australia.”
He argues working in politics is a fine balancing act of working with governments to achieve outcomes and also maintaining the independence to criticise government policy.
If elected, he might also have to learn the fine art of keeping his cool, and answering legitimate questions from pesky reporters.
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