WA election 2017: Pauline Hanson rolls into Perth ready to launch One Nation campaign
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Pauline Hanson has expressed confidence her One Nation party can win up to six seats at the West Australian election, but the Queensland senator has declined to say where she will be directing preferences.
Key points:
- Pauline Hanson in WA to launch One Nation's WA election campaign
- Party can win 'five or six' Upper House seats: WA One Nation leader
- No preference deals with other parties, Hanson says
Ms Hanson arrived in WA on Tuesday afternoon for a four-day visit, starting with the launch of her party's campaign and the announcement of her candidates for the March 11 election.
One Nation has been buoyed by a weekend poll published in The West Australian newspaper suggesting it could attract 11 per cent of the vote.
The party was officially registered in WA just this week, paving the way for Ms Hanson to field a string of candidates across the state.
One of the seats One Nation is targeting is Pilbara, held by WA Nationals Leader Brendon Grylls.
"It is going to be very interesting … I think he's going to have trouble holding onto that seat. That's what I'm hearing," Ms Hanson said after touching down in Perth.
"The people will decide — has he done his job for the seat? If not, give us a go. Have a change."
WA One Nation Leader Colin Tincknell said the party was a strong chance in the Pilbara and elsewhere.
"There's at least four or five other seats we would see as just as important as the Pilbara, especially in the [Upper House] Eastern Metro and country Agricultural regions.
"Also in the South West and other areas of the Mining and Pastoral [region].
"There's five or six that we think we can win, and there's five or six others that we could get close."
Ms Hanson reaffirmed her party's position that no preference deals had been struck with the Liberals or Labor, and that One Nation would determine its preferences on a seat-by-seat basis.
But she also suggested many voters would ignore the preference recommendations of major parties on their how-to-vote cards, and would instead make their own choice.
"People will learn they can put their preferences where they want to put them, and that's what I will be advising the voters. They own the preferences, it is theirs," she said.
'Go back to farming', Hanson tells Culleton
In the wake of the Rod Culleton affair, Ms Hanson said One Nation had closely vetted its state candidates and was confident they would perform well at the election.
She questioned the former One Nation senator's refusal to accept his disqualification from office and said while she did not know how the matter would end, she hoped it would do so soon.
"It's the first time I think I'm stumped for words," she said.
"What you're seeing now with Rod Culleton gives you an indication of what I had to put up with in Parliament.
"I just wish Rod would sort out his problems and issues and please, go back to farming."
Ms Hanson ruled out former WA state MP Anthony Fels as a potential replacement for Mr Culleton.
Topics: elections, one-nation, perth-6000, wa
