How Hanson became the de facto leader of the opposition

The One Nation leader’s decision to speak at the National Press Club this month shows the political landscape in Australia has changed. Has Hanson changed with it?

In 11 days, Pauline Hanson will enter hostile territory that she has avoided for 30 years.

For the first time in her political career, Hanson – first elected in 1996 and ever-present on the margins of Australian political life ever since – will address the National Press Club of Australia.

As is custom, Hanson will sit down at the head table beforehand with club chief executive Maurice Reilly, club president and Sky News presenter Tom Connell and the rest of the club’s directors to break bread before she steps to the lectern at 12.30pm on June 17.

Nothing could better symbolise Hanson’s transformation from fringe voice to a member of the political establishment than her decision to address the club, facing down seasoned interrogators disinclined to wrap their questions in compliments.

In an interview with this masthead’s Inside Politics podcast this week, Hanson declared that “having One Nation on the scene means that the other political parties have to stop taking people for granted”.

“The rest of the country has caught up with me, that’s what people say, I’ve been consistent with what I have been saying over years.”

It’s broadly true that Hanson has been consistent, but not completely accurate.

Asked by podcast host Paul Sakkal this week why she had switched her focus from the perceived dangers of Asian immigration to Muslim immigration, Hanson stated that “it’s totally different to Asian immigration … because it’s actually happening, we didn’t have the impact of Muslim immigration on the country back in 1996”. She adds two points: she raised concern about Muslims migrating to Australia in her (second) maiden speech to the Senate in 2016, and that many Asian-Australians now embrace her policies.

“These political parties is the reason why this country is in a hell of a mess and I know there has to be a change in direction, policies and vision for Australia, and that’s what I’m going to be pushing.”

In other words, Hanson has not given up her fervent desire to blow up the system and start again. Her chief of staff and political svengali, James Ashby, goes even further than his boss.

In an interview with this masthead, Ashby outlines plans to abolish the Climate Change department (previously announced) and the Environment department (he argues it duplicates state departments), and warns that any departmental secretary who gets in the way would face the sack under a One Nation governm