Former One Nation senator a waste of space: James Ashby

Pauline Hanson’s chief of staff James Ashby has dismissed former One Nation senator Brian Burston as a “waste of space”.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson reacts to United Australia Party senator Brian Burston. Picture: AAP.

Pauline Hanson’s chief of staff, James Ashby, claims to have achieved more for the Australian people as an unelected adviser than former One Nation senator Brian Burston, dismissing him yesterday as “jealous” of his accomplishments and a “waste of space”.

Senator Burston used the cover of parliamentary privilege to savage One Nation and personally ­attacked Senator Hanson and Mr Ashby, accusing them of mismanaging the party and labelling it the “most un-Australian, undemocratic organisation in history”.

Mr Ashby cautioned Senator Burston against making “inflammatory statements that are both untrue and highly defamatory”.

The NSW senator, now the leader of the United Australia Party in the upper house after aligning himself to Clive Palmer, likened Senator Hanson to Chinese President Xi Jinping because the One Nation constitution ­allows her to serve as effective president for life with the ability to appoint her successor.

“Senator Hanson has declared herself president for life, just like the President of China,” Senator Burston said. “She is the only Australian, and One Nation’s the only political party in Australia, (to follow) the dictatorship model.”

He also took aim at Mr Ashby — describing him as the “not-so-faceless man of One Nation” — who controlled Senator Hanson “24/7”. He said the pair shared a “close relationship of no benefit to members of One Nation”.