Pauline Hanson returns to lead One Nation, plans to contest Queensland election

Updated

Pauline Hanson has announced her return to the One Nation party to become its leader after a 12-year hiatus.

The serial candidate wants to win a Queensland seat and will prepare the party for next year's Queensland election.

On the day her ascent was announced, Ms Hanson has already taken a swipe at foreign ownership, Halal and multiculturalism.

She announced her comeback on One Nation's website, saying she would dare to raise issues which were politically incorrect.

"We are witnessing large amounts of our prime farming land and housing sold to foreign ownership," she said.

"The push for multiculturalism is only segregating us as a nation and not uniting us as Australians with the same values, beliefs and laws.

"Halal is being forced on us by 2 per cent of the population."

Speaking on television this morning, Ms Hanson said the party would stand candidates in the Queensland election, but not in NSW because it was not registered there.

One Nation not popular in Queensland

Despite Hanson's aspirations, the party did not fare well in the last Queensland election in 2012.

Its six candidates got a combined total of 2,525 votes, just 0.1 per cent of votes.

Hanson said there was more hope of success now because people were disillusioned with Campbell Newman and Labor Party and would not necessarily want to vote for Katter and Clive Palmer.

"I thought that Clive Palmer and PUP (Palmer United Party) would be the answer, I don't think he is, I don't think his heart is with Australia," she told the Seven Network.

"I will work with any government as long as it is in the interest of the Australia people, don't hold the country to ransom.

"This time I will be in control, no-one is going to pull my strings, or tell me what to say."

Ms Hanson, who lives in Coleyville in the Scenic Rim south of Brisbane, founded the party in 1997 with David Oldfield and David Ettridge.

At its height in popularity the party won 11 of Queensland Parliament's 89 seats on a populist, conservative and anti-multiculturalism platform.

"One Nation was born because many Australians felt they were disregarded by other political parties and their voices were not being heard," she said.

"My platform onto the political stage was nothing more than daring to raise issues that were politically incorrect and having a common-sense approach rather than an elitist attitude, but most of all honesty."

Since reaching a peak of 18,000 members, the far-right party has floundered since Hanson was booted from the helm in 2002 by the national executive.

The next year, she was convicted to three years in jail but served just 11 weeks before her electoral fraud convictions were overturned.

Hanson made several unsuccessful attempts to be re-elected to both federal and state parliaments as an independent.

The party's executive announced the appointment "due to popular demand" and members are expected to formally endorse Ms Hanson at a meeting on November 29.

Topics: government-and-politics, one-nation, qld, brisbane-4000

First posted