Updated ,first published
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson arrived in Perth to protests in the city’s east ahead of a sold-out sundowner on Wednesday evening.
A march organised by the WA Socialists and WA Greens rallied against Hanson’s appearance in Midland on a cold, wet evening, with chants of “Pauline Hanson go to hell, take your racists there as well” yelled by the crowd as they were escorted by police near the Midland Train Station.
Protesters also held signs criticising Hanson’s closeness with mining billionaire Gina Rinehart, as well as her support of Israel.
Words were exchanged with Hanson supporters as they made their way to the event, but there was little other drama as the protest moved through Midland.
Hanson was in town to speak at the nearby Crooked Spire cafe, with an open agenda touching on One Nation talking points around the federal budget, negative gearing, as well as migration and climate change.
The $70-per-head sundowner was sold out well ahead of Hanson’s arrival. It comes as the party boasted of its fundraising success, claiming to have raised upwards of $1 million on the day it launched a “Fire the Liar” website aimed at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Earlier on Wednesday, Hanson told 6PR’s Simon Beaumont that people had a right to have their say on politics, but believed protests targeted at One Nation were often “full of aggression”.
“They’re not peaceful protesters, they’re usually full of aggression, and that’s the type that out there pushing their own agenda in Australia, and I think it’s wrong,” she said.
“But it means that One Nation is making inroads, doesn’t it? Really means that we’re hurting those ones that like the status quo and still driving the country into the ground.
“I think we’re all absolutely blown away by this support that’s coming in for One Nation.
“It clearly tells you people aren’t against One Nation, they really want One Nation, they want the Labor Party gone. That’s why people are donating to the party to give us a war chest to actually fight the Labor Party.”
WA Greens MLC Sophie McNeill said the party was a “peaceful and inclusive movement”, while Hanson had spent three decades “spewing her hate-filled, divisive brand of politics, which we are proud to oppose tonight in Midland”.
“Pauline Hanson is being funded by billionaire Gina Rinehart who wants us to turn on each other instead of asking why [Rinehart] is worth $36 billion while the rest of us are struggling to pay our rent or mortgage,” she said.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, WA Premier Roger Cook said he had no concerns about the One Nation event quickly selling out of tickets, but played down their chances at the polls.
“We welcome Pauline Hanson to Western Australia, but One Nation, they talk up a big game,” he said.
“But they’ve got nothing to offer the people of Western Australia.”
Earlier this week, WA Opposition leader Basil Zempilas flagged that he would be open to working with One Nation in a bid to oust Labor at the next election.
Speaking as the guest of honour at a business breakfast at Crown Perth on Monday, Zempilas acknowledged One Nation’s upward surge following recent poll results showing the party had overtaken the federal government in popularity.
The opposition leader said the recent polls showed there was a level of frustration with the current state of politics within Australia.
“What you cannot deny and what you cannot ignore is that currently 30 per cent of the Australian – and likely West Australian – population are suggesting they could or would vote for One Nation,” he said.
“In our position, you have to consider everything that is in front of you, and there’s a very significant movement towards One Nation in this state and around Australia.”
However, this morning Cook said any alliance between the state Liberal Party and One Nation was purely hypothetical.
“All [One Nation is] about is combining with the Liberals to sow division and hatred in our community, and to cut services and privatise public services,” he said.
“They’re not here to bring prosperity, they’re not here to bring policies, they’re simply here to sow division and resentment, and as a result of that, division in the community.”
Speaking on 6PR, Hanson said the party had installed a strong vetting process to make sure the party had the best possible candidates for WA.
“We’ve actually got a new vetting process now, it’s extremely hardcore vetting of candidates that we’ve got standing for us now,” she said.
“So far, for the next federal election, we’ve had 1500 people who want to be candidates.
“Our next Senate candidate for WA, you’ll be highly impressed with him as well, who I will be putting up as a Senate candidate.
“I’m not just going after those academics, I want those tradies, want people out there who have a passion and want to represent their country.”
