Tony Abbott to launch Pauline Hanson’s book

Tony Abbott will launch Pauline Hanson’s new book today at Parliament House in Canberra.

Pauline Hanson and Tony Abbott in 2016.

Tony Abbott will launch Pauline Hanson’s book today at Parliament House in Canberra, arguing that the half a million supporters who voted for One ­Nation at the last election “deserve respect”.

The One Nation leader once accused Mr Abbott of landing her in jail, but Senator Hanson and the former Liberal prime minister ­appear to have buried the hatchet after a rocky history.

The book is a collection of ­Senator Hanson’s speeches, from her controversial warning in her 1996 maiden speech that Australia was “in danger of being swamped by Asians” to more recent speeches on youth unemployment, Islam, indigenous affairs, farming, autism and citizenship.

A spokesman for Mr Abbott said he was “delighted” that Senator Hanson had invited him to launch her book amid growing feeling in conservative ranks that the Coalition should “build bridges” with the right-wing party in a bid to win preferences at the next election.

Pauline Hanson's book: Pauline In Her Own Words.

“He (Mr Abbott) believes Pauline Hanson’s One Nation and the half-million people who voted that way at the last election deserve ­respect. The Hanson senators have worked constructively and responsibly with the government in an often difficult Senate,” Mr Abbott’s spokesman said. “Mr ­Abbott recently said Senator Hanson should be judged on what she says today, not just what she said 20 years ago. Her book gives people an opportunity to do just that.’’

The book, titled Pauline In Her Own Words, is published by Wilkinson Publishing and will sell for $29.99.

In an SBS documentary filmed after her election to the Senate in 2016, Senator Hanson fought back tears recounting her 2003 jailing — of which she served 78 days — over quashed political corruption charges, blaming Mr Abbott and then prime minister John Howard for running a “political witch-hunt” against her.

“It took me a long time to get over it. I blame Tony Abbott (and) John Howard for my imprisonment and no one will ever change my opinion about that,” she said at the time.