1 week Ago By Rachel Fenner
“Pauline Hanson is not racist at all, tell everyone wherever they come from, she is not racist,” a fired-up Parminder Singh Manj, One Nation’s third-place Senate candidate, told a crowd at Mandurah’s Halls Park on Saturday. A crowd of about 150 people showed up for lunch with Pauline Hanson who is currently touring WA. Earlier on Saturday she’d hosted a breakfast in Bunbury, and on Sunday was set to appear at a lunch in Burn’s Beach.
The divisive Queensland pollie received a rock star welcome from the crowd, stopping to take selfies and sign One Nation hats. This was a buoyed Hanson - different to the woman who earlier in the week broke down on Sky News over a court ruling that found she’d made racist comments about fellow Senator Mehreen Faruqi. In a reply to a fan on Facebook on Friday Hanson wrote: “After the Bolt interview I locked myself away for a couple of days.
“I am in WA upholding a commitment I made a couple of months ago. I am going okay, looking forward to meeting many people over the next couple of days here in WA. “I have my down times not unlike many others but then I realise I am not alone and pick myself up and get on with it.
” In the wake of Donald Trump’s recent victory, a few red MAGA hats were scattered throughout the crowd. Trump and Hanson certainly share similarities, both have red hair, have similar stances on immigration and have been accused of racism due to their inflammatory statements. Hanson’s never experienced Trump’s level of political success though, at the last Federal election One Nation received just 7 per cent of first preference votes in Canning.
Still, on Saturday Hanson told the Mandurah Times that Trump’s victory should send a message that people are fed up with politicians. “It’s a signal to people who are so woke and think they control the people,” she said. “People have a right to an opinion, people have a right to question, people want freedom, they’re sick and tired of being controlled by the government and politicians.
” On Friday, Hanson posted a video of herself feeding pelicans with former Raunchy Promotions boss Steve Zielinski who had political aspirations to run as a Senate candidate for One Nation in 2017. He is currently awaiting trial following allegations he assaulted his ex-wife at a party and was in the crowd on Saturday when Hanson attacked changes to Australia’s domestic violence laws. “Men have been accused of being the only perpetrators, it’s a two-way street out there and females are also perpetrators of domestic violence,” she said to applause from the crowd.
Hanson also attacked the Government’s Digital ID bill and Housing Bill. “It’s a load of bloody bumpkis to tell you the truth, and to think (Albanese) is going to actually fund all this housing - 30,000 houses in the next five years is rubbish. “You know what? It’s been there for about a year and a half, maybe two years.
And guess what? Not one house built, but they’ve spent $35 million on administration. “The housing problem comes down to high immigration because they want to prop up their economy, because they have been bad economic managers of this country,” Hanson finished to more applause. Mandurah attendees said they were thrilled to meet Hanson and sent a message to the major parties ahead of the next election – watch your backs.
Labor is yet to field a candidate to run as an alternative to incumbent Liberal Andrew Hastie who has held the seat since 2015. Many attendees pointed to Trump’s election victory saying it was a sign Australians were turning away from traditional politicians. Steve and Sue Clark drove an hour from Fremantle to meet Hanson, saying they’d had enough of Labor and the Liberal parties.
“It’s been ridiculous them being in bed together,” Steve said. “You need people like Pauline to say hang on, you’re here for the people.” Local resident Stephen, 32, preferred not to give his last name but said One Nation was the only party for the people.
“I think immigration is too high with the amount of inflation in Australia and our money could be better spent,” he added. Mark Alexander, 54, who also lives in Mandurah, said he’s sick and tired of the two-party system. “It’s unfair.
They control the monopoly and don’t let any other parties come in,” he said. “Everything needs to change. We’ve got homeless on the streets, Peel Health Campus is pathetic.
There’s so many taxes on people.”.
