Ray Martin: ‘Ignore Pauline Hanson at your peril’

IF THERE’S one thing we’ve learnt from the comments section recently it’s that Pauline Hanson has a lot of supporters. Don’t dismiss them, says Ray Martin.

OPINION

GUESS what?

Pauline Hanson reckons One Nation already has four seats in Canberra.

Queensland’s brazen new Senator-elect also reckons she might have as many as SEVEN — if the Electoral Commission ever finishes counting votes.

That’s what she said on the ABC’s Q&A show this week.

Son, tell her she’s dreamin’!

Or — as moderator Tony Jones advises, “if you have doubts about anything said on this program go to Fact Checks immediately”.

But the fact is, almost two decades after the Canberra pundits had banished her to some swamp — out the back of Ipswich or the Gold Coast — Ms Hanson is back as a political force to be reckoned with.

Again.

It’s worth remembering that along with her solitary, two-year stint in Canberra back in the mid 90s, versions of Pauline’s One Nation Party have held a number of state parliamentary seats in WA, NSW and Queensland.

Led by her political Svengali at the time, David Oldfield, they cashed in on a regional revolt in Queensland in 1998 and won an extraordinary 11 seats.

No fringe party in Australian history has pulled off that kind of political coup, although they collapsed in disarray in the years that followed.

But, she’s back — arguably stronger than ever.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the comments section over the past few weeks it’s that Pauline Hanson has a lot of supporters. We’d be wise not to dismiss them. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Peled

Last election, it was Clive Palmer’s rag tag army which soared into the political stratosphere over Canberra for a moment and then Icarus-like imploded. But the Queensland eccentric billionaire’s popularity as an anti-politician should have rung alarm bells.

The Libs and Labor will ignore what Pauline’s One Nation represents at their peril.

You may remember — back at the turn of the millennium — treasurer and heir-apparent Peter Costello led by a younger, more virulent Tony Abbott went after Ms Hanson like bull-terriers, along with the media. Pauline ended up in jail over campaign funding for a brief time, a charge which was subsequently quashed.

Through this political vilification, then prime minister John Howard sat quietly on the sidelines, watching others bring her down. Howard was an astute operator who understood Australians and read the political tea-leaves better than most.

Little Johnny avoided the perils of Pauline and came out on top.

Six months ago the world was just as dismissive of Donald Trump.

Today, he’s still “weird and feared” but he’s the chosen Republican candidate for President of the United States.

He’s one step away from all the White House buttons.

A month ago the Brexit vote was guaranteed to keep the UK in the EU.

Both of these political shocks came on the back of a huge populist tsunami in America and Britain. Despite what the pundits and the traditional parties thought in both countries, there was a belief among frustrated, exasperated grassroots voters that their opinions had been ignored for too long.

So they acted.

Recent events in the US and Britain have proven how dangerous it can be to ignore, mock and vilify people you disagree with — politically or personally.

The message is — start listening to what was once dismissed as The Silent Minority. After five federal governments in Australia — in quick time — they’re “mad as hell” with politics as usual and they’re not copping it.

France and Germany both have national polls ahead, with similar political revolts now predicted.

Ms Hanson’s stunning victory reminds all those who didn’t vote for One Nation that she has a small — but very significant — bunch of Aussie sympathisers who don’t have to agree with her opinions but love what she stands for.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called this double dissolution election to clean-up the Senate.

Well, guess what? He lost.

Ms Hanson and her One Nation mates are going to remind him — maybe for the next seven years — that you have to be careful what you wish for.

Journalist Ray Martin. Picture: Britta Campion

Ray Martin is a five-time Gold Logie Award winning journalist and television personality. Follow Ray on Twitter @raymartin