20th March 2000
Feed her to the lions …the bitch deserves it. If Hanson aroused emotions in the public arena when she spoke out on the selective treatment of Aborigines and the pussy-foot approach of Australian Governments to immigration, then she does so today for another reason. There is an element of spiteful revenge …you dug the hole, now go to hell. Hanson has not only revealed the soft under-belly of gutless politicians, but has also revealed the fickleness of the people …some of whom sang her praises from the roof-tops. Where are they now?
Scott Balson's view is not so different from my own, but he, in spite of his 'enormous respect' for her has essentially abandoned her. Whilst this is understandable, for Scott did a tremendous amount of work for her, he was not alone in that …a fact that he would readily acknowledge. Unlike some of us however it is on record that his company was paid for some of that work. So his work was not entirely altruistic.
Many have been hurt badly by Hanson's complete indifference to other people; which is in direct contrast to her bleating now. Poor me, help me! The point is; should we?
From the point of view of her present personal predicament my gut-feeling would be, certainly not; she made the bed, now let her lie on it. But the trouble with that view is that it assumes the high moral ground and apportions the total blame on Hanson. Without the people, the Hanson phenomenon would not have arisen, so we must examine this whole thing a whole lot closer. We were part of the equation. So do we abandon her now?
Readers will continue to be puzzled why I do not join the army of people who have walked away. Well the answer to that is simple enough. It is the same logic to the advent of Hanson that allowed me to create her original movement. Hanson, the icon represents more than Hanson the individual. Pauline Hanson has the capacity to pull the people …fact. Pauline Hanson, has never lacked the courage to speak out on controversial issues …fact Coupled to this of course is her inability to judge character and be perceptive enough to avoid trouble. She was not alone in this. Every man and his dog that followed the Hanson star thought that Ettridge and Oldfield were her utopian friends.
The real question for my apathetic and blinkered readers is; can we afford to abandon her. The answer is an emphatic NO!
Hanson for reasons that are far removed from mine says as much. In her case it may well the desperate fear of losing the aphrodisiac of public recognition and acclaim. I say that we are not likely to see her like again for a long, long time. WE CAN NO MORE AFFORD TO LET HER GO THAN SHE DOES NOT WANT TO GO. There has to be a trade off. Here I will cut and paste the words of Scott Balson: hopefully during this time she will recognise the major role that the 2Ds actively played in her downfall and tell her supporters the real reason why she was rusted on to Oldfield and Ettridge.
For the concept of Hanson to work, she must accept that her lot in establishing a third potential political force rests solely with her ability to attract people and pinpoint the untouchable issues. There are enough grassroots thinkers outside the cynical political environment to give the icon clout. The trick will be to weed out the Trewartha's, Ettridge's and Oldfield's. To reject those who see the Hanson's of this world as a free ride. One Nation was a hotbed of opportunists. In many ways it exemplified the very worst aspects of the human greed element. When judging Hanson, let us not loose sight of these facts.
I unequivocally support what Hanson stands for and the position that she holds …which still remains unique. We lose her and it at our greater loss. As for Hanson the person, that does not interest me.
Be warned: If she goes we are all the losers!