The ABC’s Stephanie Smail reports (18.12.16) on the announcement of One Nation candidates for the next Queensland state election.
‘Pauline Hanson’s One Nation has learnt from its mistakes in Queensland and vetted its candidates carefully for the next state election, party bosses said.
‘One Nation is due to announce 36 candidates at an event north of Brisbane today.
‘They are expected to include former Liberal National Party MP Neil Symes for the seat of Mansfield, nurse practitioner Jane Truscott for Bundaberg and former retailer Rod Jones for Caloundra.
‘Jim Savage, the party’s Queensland campaign manager and candidate for Lockyer, said candidates have been carefully checked to avoid the infighting that followed the party’s 11-seat victory in the 1998 state election.
‘”In 1998 we could have chosen our candidates better,” Mr Savage said. “Some of the candidates were tremendous, but we did have some disappointing results from some of our candidates, there’s no point in denying it”.
‘One Nation won 22.68 per cent of the primary vote in 1998. A recent Galaxy poll conducted for The Courier-Mail found One Nation was polling at 16 per cent in Queensland.’