The Queensland Carpetbagger: Pauline Hanson heads to the NSW Legislative Council

The Queensland Carpetbagger: Pauline Hanson heads to the NSW Legislative Council
Posted on March 23, 2011 by timbtufuga


New South Wales State Election, 26th March, 2011:

A Carpetbagger she very well may be, but, this Queenslander knows the odds when it comes to political professionalism and surviving the turmoils of a public life. Pauline Hanson’s political acrimonious career may be considered as controversial over the years and she may be best be remembered politically in parity and synomonous with the British National Party, and the Enoch Powell racialist hysteria, of rightwing xenophobic politics. Since this indelible political stigma Pauline Hanson, has become less bellicose and controversial over the years but more of a professional politician knowing how to extract some election campaign funds in order to maintain her quality of life.

Pauline Hanson needs only to poll 4% of the Legislative Council vote within her electorate to be entitled to a federal campaign reimbursement. (Anthony Green 2011). In 2004, Pauline Hanson had received $199,886,77 in Federal funds. In 2007, she received a further $213,095,49 for her bid for parliamentary incumbency. It is also ironic to think that on the very issue of campaign funding she was charged, arrested, arraigned, convicted and imprisoned for election campaign funding fraud. She was later pardoned and vindicated for this wrongful imprisonment.

Now, what of the Carpetbagger? She has become somewhat convinced that she has an even chance in polling at least the required 4% for election campaign funding reimbursement and she can happily walk away after plundering the New South Wales election campaign funding coffers.

Meanwhile, what of her politics? The date September 10th, 1996, in the delivery of her maiden speech remains her indelible mark upon Australian political history. There is almost nothing after this date in which Pauline Hanson’s contribution to Australian political life could be considered as significantly relevant.

Pauline Hanson, is really just another Carpetbagger.

Fa’afetai lava

Tim Tufuga 24th March 2011