Tony Abbott launches Pauline Hanson’s book

Tony Abbott cheekily tells Pauline Hanson’s book launch she is proof of that “old adage you are always better the second time around’’.

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott launching Senator Pauline Hanson’s book at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Kym Smith

Tony Abbott has argued for One Nation to be preferenced ahead of Labor and the Greens at the next election, arguing the Coalition would not have passed any legislation “but for the constructive work of Pauline Hanson”.

The former Liberal prime minister today launched the One Nation leader’s new book Pauline, In Her Own Words at Parliament House in Canberra, arguing that preferences should be given in the “order of people’s capacity to make a constructive contribution to our national life”.

Mr Abbott said that Senator Hanson had forced Australia to face up to its problems and had “always had the guts to speak her mind in ways which ... supposedly more sophisticated politicians have all too often lacked”.

He said that if people over the last two decades had been more ready to heed Senator Hanson’s message then Australia would be a “better country today”.

While he acknowledged there had been a lot of “dirty water under the bridge” between himself and Senator Hanson in previous years, Mr Abbott said she was proof of the “old adage that you are always better the second time around”.

“Let’s face it, we should scale back immigration and we should be more proud of our country. We should build new coal-fired power stations because if it is right to export our clean coal, it is right to use it here,” Mr Abbott said.

“We should build more dams because water is wealth. And we shouldn’t be frightened of using resources ... And we do have a problem with Islamism that does require decent Muslims to stand up to the death to the infidel extremists”.

.@TonyAbbottMHR: I would certainly preference @OneNationAus above @AustralianLabor and The @Greens, the fact is we would not have been able to pass any legislation in this parliament if not for the constructive work of @PaulineHansonOz.

MORE: https://t.co/ykweMevBOK #SkyLiveNow pic.twitter.com/Lg6tmeoYIg

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) March 27, 2018

Mr Abbott said, while he had often disagreed with Senator Hanson in the past, he had never disputed her right to speak out and defended One Nation’s voting record in the upper-house where it controls three seats.

He said it should be preferenced ahead of both Labor and the Greens.

“Based on the current record, I would put the Greens last. I would put Labor second last. Then I would put constructive independents and minor parties on. Then I would put the Coalition and its allies first,” Mr Abbott said.

“I would certainly put One Nation above Labor and the Greens because, let’s face it — we have been able to work constructively in the Senate with One Nation.

“We would not have been able to pass any legislation in the current parliament but for the constructive work of Pauline Hanson and her team of Senators.”

‘You are always better the second time around’

Mr Abbott was famously behind a trust fund set up to fund legal cases against One Nation in the 1990s, when the party posed a threat to the Liberal Party. Senator Hanson and One Nation co-founder David Ettridge served 11 weeks of a three-year jail sentence after being convicted of electoral fraud in 2003. The convictions were later overturned on appeal. Soon after her release from jail, Senator Hanson said: “Heaven help this country if Tony Abbott is ever in control of it. I detest the man.”

However it was a different tone today between the former political adversaries.

.@TonyAbbottMHR: There has been plenty of dirty water under the bridge between @PaulineHansonOz and I. Pauline is now testament to the old adage you are always better the second time around.

MORE: https://t.co/ewiOTrvIPs #SkyLiveNow pic.twitter.com/fvGI3taW15

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) March 27, 2018

“Her willingness to let the past be the past is a sign of decency which is all too rare these days in our public life,’’ Mr Abbott said.

“Back in 1996 Pauline Hanson was a lone voice crying in the wilderness, and sometimes an angry one. In those days she was damaging what I thought was the best conservative government in our history. But today I’ve got to say she has worked with her colleagues consistently and constructively in the senate to help the Coalition Government to implement its agenda. She and her colleagues have helped to make this senate so much better than the last one.

“And if I may say so Pauline, adversity has made you a better, deeper person, and you are certainly confirmation of that old adage that you are always better the second time around.’’

Senator Hanson says she called Mr Abbott last Thursday with a “cheeky” request for him to launch her book.

“Well you burst out laughing,” she said. “Whether he thought I was having a go at him I don’t know.” She said both of them have had their ups and downs, praising Mr Abbott for not walking away when he lost the prime ministership.

“It’s a clear indication that we have stuck with what we believe in to work for the Australian people,” Senator Hanson said.

“I think that like Nelson Mandela did, after 28 years in prison he forgave and he forgot and I think that’s what we need to do.”

.@PaulineHansonOz: @TonyAbbottMHR has had his ups and downs too, we have stuck with what we believe in during tough times. Like Nelson Mandela, we need to forgive and forget, we must work through our differences.

MORE: https://t.co/ewiOTrvIPs #SkyLiveNow pic.twitter.com/aPPyhCORXI

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) March 27, 2018

Earlier today, when asked if she disliked Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as much as Mr Abbott does, she said that’s where they differed.

“No, I don’t dislike Malcolm Turnbull at all. Do I agree with the way he handles things all the time? No, I don’t. But I have respect for the man.”

But her opinion of Opposition leader Bill Shorten was less forgiving.

“Do I trust Bill Shorten? No, I don’t. Do I think he’s going to make a good prime minister? No, I don’t.”

With AAP

Tony Abbott launches Senator Pauline Hanson’s book, Pauline, In Her Own Words. Picture: Kym Smith