WA election 2017: One Nation leader Pauline Hanson stands by candidates on South West visit
Updated
Pauline Hanson has conceded it will be tough to keep her planned field of 60 One Nation candidates on message during the WA election campaign, but says it will be up to voters to make their own decision at the polling booth.
Key points:
- One Nation's Dawesville candidate advertised on Facebook for bikini baristas
- Another candidate has reportedly raised doubts about standing in Kalgoorlie
- Pauline Hanson dismissed questions about party's candidates on visit to Bunbury
Senator Hanson was in Bunbury promoting her regional candidates for the seats of Murray Wellington and Collie Preston when she was quizzed over reports one of her candidates had once advertised for so-called bikini baristas.
Senator Hanson dismissed the questions and said she would not subject her people to trial by media, but acknowledged the difficulties posed by such a large contingent of candidates.
"It's not going to be easy, by all means. It is going to be a challenge," she said.
"[But] I think we can do it. I have no problems about it … It's the people of Western Australia who encouraged me to come and stand candidates here."
One Nation candidate for Dawesville Lawrence Shave advertised on Facebook in July 2015 for young women to work as bikini baristas, serving coffee while clad only in swimwear.
Senator Hanson said she was unaware of the advertisements, but retained confidence in Mr Shave.
"I'm not aware of that. I'm not going to make comments on things that I'm not aware of. You know, sometimes the media tells me things that is not exactly right," she said.
"Let me just put it this way, I'm not going to have trial by media here with all of my candidates.
"Either you want to talk to me about policy and what I'm doing in the state, or if this whole media interview is going to be about the candidates representing me, I'm sorry, this will be finished."
WA One Nation leader Colin Tincknell defended the selection process for candidates, and disputed reports quoting geologist and climate change sceptic David Archibald as saying he was not the party's candidate for Kalgoorlie.
"I haven't heard that from David. When I spoke to him he said yes," Mr Tincknell told reporters.
Mr Tincknell said One Nation had selected candidates who were genuinely representative of the Australian public.
"They may be inexperienced but they are like [the] major population of Western Australia," he said.
"They are inexperienced but they've got experience in life."
Bunbury One Nation candidate Sam Brown, a fly-in, fly-out worker, said he joined the party in an effort to help turn around the decline in employment by limiting the use of cheap overseas labour.
"There's a lot of people working around here who have been affected by 457 [visa workers]. 457s are coming through and taking out local labour, in the maintenance and scaffolding game for instance," he said.
"So it hits home [and] I've just had enough. And I think a lot of people in Australia have had enough," he said.
Hanson draws crowd in Bunbury
Senator Hanson was repeatedly embraced by shoppers, shop owners and shop assistants as she moved through shopping centres in Bunbury and Australind.
Jackie Holden and her two children were among those who posed with the senator for a selfie.
She said she believed Senator Hanson wanted to put Australians first.
"I just love the way she supports Australia, her beliefs … I just think she's wonderful," she said.
"She says what she feels and she's just so strong willed."
A 76-year-old woman who gave her name as Marilyn said people were sick of politicians and wanted plain and honest leadership.
"I just hope she's a bit more straightforward and honest than the rest of them. We are all getting a bit tired of it," she said.
Senator Hanson was due to continued her tour around rural areas of the South West to view areas affected by salinity, as the party develops its agriculture policy.
Topics: one-nation, elections, states-and-territories, pauline-hanson, bunbury-6230, perth-6000, wa
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