One Nation says it will have a mandate to force Premier Colin Barnett from office if it wins the balance of power in the Western Australian election this weekend, even if the Liberal Party retains government.
Senator Hanson flew into WA on Sunday for the final week of campaigning. In a Facebook Live video posted hours after her arrival, the One Nation leader asks the WA head of One Nation, Colin Tincknell, who is also a upper house candidate, about why she has been hearing the Premier is unpopular. "They just can't stand Barnett," she says at about the 3-minute mark.
She then speculates that One Nation with the balance of power in upper and lower houses could force the Premier from office.
"What's to say Barnett may not be there?" Senator Hanson says in the video.
"If we end up in a position we could say 'OK you have our support if Barnett goes'."
Mr Tincknell replies, "I think that's fair."
"That would be us listening to the people and delivering to the Parliament exactly what the people are saying. They do not want Barnett to be the next Premier."
Mr Barnett has been the WA Premier since 2008.
Political analysts say One Nation could win three seats in WA's upper house, also known as the senate, and secure the balance of power. A ReachTEL poll commissioned last week showed One Nation support had slumped from 13 per cent to 8.5 per cent, but analysts say a preference deal with the Liberal Party could get the party over the line in the Upper House.
This means One Nation is warning it could use seats partly gained through Liberal Party preferences to topple the Liberal leader.
It's understood Mr Barnett will retire after Saturday's election, whatever the outcome, but he has not said at what point in the term this would take place.
Under the deal, One Nation gives its preferences to the Liberal Party in the Lower House in return for Liberal preferences in the Upper House.
Both parties have faced a backlash from members over the deal, and a One Nation candidate has quit in protest. In February, several One Nation candidates said they would refuse to preference the Liberal Party. In the video on Sunday, Senator Hanson assured voters they did not have to follow her party's 'How to Vote' guide and could choose their own preferences.
Up to now, the two party leaders have avoided attacking each other.
On the campaign trail today, Mr Barnett said he did not take seriously Senator Hanson's comments about the safety of child vaccines, or her admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
At one point in the interview, he interrupted a reporter's question about the Queensland senator's visit, saying: "For goodness sake, you're getting spooked by Pauline Hanson."
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