WA Election: Pauline Hanson campaigns in Perth

Pauline Hanson meets voters on her WA election blitz while slamming the Labor Party over political preferences.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson waits for her bags with adviser James Ashby at Perth Airport last night. Picture: AAP

WA Election Latest Updates: Less than a week out from the WA state election, One Nation senator Pauline Hanson has embarked on six-day tour of Perth and the regions. Follow updates from the campaign trail.

Top stories:
• WA Labor ‘liars, cheats’

• Hanson – my kids were vaccinated

6pm: Barnett rejects Nationals claim

The West Australian premier has rubbished claims by Nationals leader Brendon Grylls that his controversial mining tax policy was first proposed by treasury. Mr Grylls told the West Australian that his policy proposal to increase mining lease rent paid by BHP and Rio Tinto from 25 cents to $5 per tonne was initially raised by the WA Department of Treasury.

But Premier Colin Barnett told reporters today that was not the case, and any discussion by treasury about the tax was held after Mr Grylls had publicly announced the policy.

Mr Barnett said he did not know what was motivating Mr Grylls and did not agree with his proposal.

“For all of my political career I’ve been around the resources industry and one of the most sacred aspects of that is that you do not tear up contracts and state agreements are basically contracts.”

4pm: Hanson ‘will make country safe’

Thelma Ledge, 80, was among supporters who gave Senator Hanson a warm welcome outside Deano’s Cafe in Mandurah south of Perth this morning.

Ms Ledge says she was a mother of four with 14 grandchildren who with concerns about immigration.

“I want Pauline to lead us because she’s going to make this country safe for my grandchildren,” Ms Ledge said.

Hanson is greeted by supporter Thelma Ledge, 80, in Mandurah. Picture: AAP

3.35pm: WA Labor ‘liars, cheats’

Pauline Hanson has labelled the WA Labor Party liars and cheats over political preferences for Saturday’s state election.

Speaking in Mandurah, Senator Hanson said: “Labor are putting out a scare campaign.”

“Labor have put One Nation last on all the how-to-vote cards, so Labor’s preferences will flow to the Libs before One Nation.

“They are liars, they are cheats, they are deceitful and they will do anything that they possibly can.”

Senator Hanson said voters were fed up with the major parties and were looking for change.

She described her candidates as down to earth, upfront and honest “grassroots Australians” who had had enough.

Senator Hanson also reiterated her party’s opposition to asset sales, which the Liberals are planning to help improve the state’s finances.

She also said her travel expenses for her visit to WA were paid for by the party.

3.17pm: How to vote? I’ll show you

Pauline Hanson is showing West Australian voters how to ensure Liberals do not benefit from the controversial preference swap that the Barnett government hopes can help it cling to power on Saturday.

The deal directs preferences from One Nation to the Liberals in the lower house. In exchange, Liberal preferences will flow to One Nation in the upper house, where Pauline Hanson’s party hopes to seize the balance of power.

At the Mandurah Forum shopping centre an hour’s drive south of Perth, Senator Hanson spoke to voters concerned about her party’s alliance with the Liberals. Using the One Nation how to vote card, she showed voters Niels Schmid and Richard Brown how to fill out their ballots so that One Nation gets the benefit of the Liberals’ preferences but the Liberals do not get One Nation preferences.

Mr Brown told Senator Hanson he did not want his vote to end up with the Liberal party.

“It’s only a recommendation you don’t have to follow this,” Ms Hanson told him.

Pointing to the how to vote card, Senator Hanson said: “You can fill out one to 20 (in the lower house) and in the upper house you just put 1 above the line for One Nation”

Later, Mr Brown said Senator Hanson’s explanation helped him decide to vote for her party.

“I wanted to vote One Nation but I didn’t want to vote Liberal,” he said.

Holding a how to vote card, Mr Schmid said Senator Hanson talked him through the same steps.

“She said it’s completely up to me she’s not telling anyone how to vote,” he said.

3.10pm: Selfies in Mandurah

Picture: AAP

3.00pm: Hanson questions GST share

Pauline Hanson says she’s keen to investigate whether the federal government is breaching the constitution in the way it distributes the GST.

Section 99 of the constitution states: “The commonwealth shall not, by any law or regulation of trade, commerce, or revenue, give preference to one state or any part thereof over another state or any part thereof”.

“This is something I thought about investigating further - maybe the state, for the GST, is being treated unfairly under the constitution,” Hanson has told reporters in Perth.

Constitutional expert George Williams said it was true the commonwealth could not discriminate when it came to levying tax, but there were no limitations on granting money to the states.

He said section 96 of the constitution stated: “The (federal) parliament may grant financial assistance to any state on such terms and conditions as the parliament thinks fit.” Section 99 primarily related to commerce and trade not granting money, he said.

2.00pm:

We have big plans to honour WA's sporting heroes at @NewPerthStadium. Who do you think should get the first statue? #Perth pic.twitter.com/cMHGEiUfb8

— Colin Barnett (@ColinBarnett) March 6, 2017

1.45pm:

Nice morning spent at the Hyde Park Fair with the family! #HydeParkFair #CityofVincent #wapol pic.twitter.com/Y4aCm6VHn4

— Mark McGowan (@MarkMcGowanMP) March 6, 2017

1.30pm: Hanson on 6PR

Here is the audio from Senator Hanson earlier interview on 6PR.

Rosie Lewis 1.20pm: Hanson echoes Trump

Pauline Hanson has evoked Donald Trump by blaming the media for an “obsession” with “manufactured controversies”, as she is attacked over her advice to parents to “investigate” whether to vaccinate their children.

The One Nation leader’s support for Vladimir Putin has also drawn widespread criticism in the past 24 hours but she attempted to dismiss the backlash via Twitter.

The media's obsession with manufactured controversies is why they're failing. Aussies want media to talk about things that matter! #auspol

— Pauline Hanson (@PaulineHansonOz) March 6, 2017

The US President has repeatedly blasted the media for producing “fake news” as his claims and policies are analysed and questioned.

1pm: Turnbull, Morrison won’t campaign in WA

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has confirmed he will not return to Western Australia before Saturday’s state election. “My schedule is not taking me to Perth this week,” he said in Melbourne today. Treasurer Scott Morrison says he is “locked down for the budget” and would also not be heading to Perth.

Graham Richardson 12.40pm: ‘Nationals the big losers’

While it may upset our readers from the west, the Western Australian elections normally don’t arouse much interest in the rest of the nation. But this time there is at least one factor in play that means more eyes than normal will be looking towards the sunset next Saturday. The performance of One Nation, particularly given the groundbreaking preference deal with the Liberals, will be one to watch. The preference deal ­between the governing Liberals and the Hansonites is perhaps a harbinger of what is to come.

You can read Richo’s full column here.

12.20pm: Barnett transport vow

Looking for another reason to love public holidays in #Perth and across WA? If re-elected we'll bring in free public transport... pic.twitter.com/ctO4XClYAZ

— Colin Barnett (@ColinBarnett) March 6, 2017

Paige Taylor 12.10pm: Hanson on vaccinations

Senator Pauline Hanson has sought to moderate her comments on vaccinations on the first day of her week-long West Australian election blitz after a Perth mother whose son died from whooping cough called the Queensland Senator dangerous and ignorant.

Catherine Hughes’s one month old son Riley died from pertussis in 2015 because he was too young to be immunised against the deadly respiratory bacteria. Yesterday Ms Hughes was highly critical of Senator Hanson’s description of the “no jab no play” policy as blackmail.

She doesn’t know what it’s like to watch your child die in your arms because someone, somewhere, decided to believe that they were better off not being vaccinated,” Ms Hughes told The West Australian newspaper.

But this morning in Perth, Senator Hanson said parents should follow the advice of their doctors on vaccination.

“I had my children vaccinated and I never told my children not to get their children vaccinated,” she said on Perth radio station 6pr.

“Get your advice, go and talk to your health professional.”

12pm: Today’s schedule

Pauline Hanson will spend the next six days promoting her party in regional centres and on the outlying suburbs of Perth. Pauline Hanson One Nation aims to hold the balance of power in the WA upper house after the election on Saturday.

Successive polls show Labor tracking for victory.

Today, Liberal Premier Colin Barnett is due at the unfinished Perth Stadium to make an announcement about plans to honour WA sporting greats there if re-elected.

Labor leader Mark McGowan is expected to campaign again on his party’s opposition to the partial sale of state-owned electricity utility Western Power. The Barnett government proposes to sell 49 per cent of the state’s poles and wires to raise $8 billion.