By Jeremy Sollars
Pauline Hanson says her One Nation party is yet to endorse a candidate for Southern Downs for the next State Election but is considering interest from a number of potential starters.
The Free Times caught up with Senator Hanson in Stanthorpe last weekend, where she attended the re-opening of the Stanthorpe Civic Centre by Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove and a civic reception for His Excellency and Lady Cosgrove at the Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery.
Looking fit and energetic, the outspoken One Nation leader said the party would implement a stringent “vetting process” to choose a Southern Downs candidate.
One Nation has been plagued in recent times by candidates around the country withdrawing of their own accord or being forced to stand down due to past indiscretions, including the use of social media, which came to light after their endorsement.
Senator Hanson said several local party members had “put in applications” to stand as the One Nation candidate for Southern Downs at the next Queensland election, due in January 2018 but which could be called much earlier by ALP Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, whose government remains on a parliamentary knife-edge.
“We have so far endorsed around 35 to 40 Queensland candidates and we have another 15 or so who are just about ready to go,” Senator Hanson told the Free Times.
“We have a very heavy vetting process; it’s a long process so it’s hard to say what the timeframe will be as far as Southern Downs is concerned.
“A number of people have come forward, and we will be looking very carefully at who we decide to endorse.
“We have a different structure to the other parties – we don’t have local branches who do the selection, it’s all done by our head office.”
The Free Times understands that Stanthorpe business identity Mark McNichol – the husband of Southern Downs Councillor Marika McNichol – has been formally interviewed this week by senior One Nation State figures after applying to be the party’s Southern Downs candidate.
At least one other local One Nation member or supporter is also understood to have applied, but is yet to be publicly identified.
One man who has not yet made up his mind about running for One Nation in Southern Downs is Goondiwindi councillor and former LNP stalwart Rob Mackenzie, who was pushed aside by the LNP earlier this year when he stood for pre-selection to succeed veteran MP Lawrence Springborg, who will retire from state politics at the next election.
The LNP is understood to have had concerns over long-ago traffic convictions of Cr Mackenzie and social media posting which he has since defended. He resigned from the LNP on Tuesday 7 March and has previously said he will not rule out standing for One Nation, or as an Independent, for Southern Downs.
Cr Mackenzie told the Free Times this week he had been contacted by “a lot of members and supporters of the LNP” who had encouraged him to run for One Nation after being snubbed by his former party.
“I won’t be ruling out anything at this point, I just haven’t made up my mind,” he said.
“I haven’t applied formally to be the One Nation candidate, and I won’t rule out running as an Independent.
“A lot of people around the electorate, including business people, have said to me they don’t care ‘what vehicle it takes to get you in there (state parliament), we just want you in there’.
“People are making it clear they want someone who’s a local.”
The LNP candidacy was won in February by James Lister, who is a former RAAF officer who has re-located with his family to Stanthorpe ahead of the next State Election, having previously lived near the Amberley RAAF base.
Mr Lister has family members who have lived in Stanthorpe for some time, including his parents and his sister and her family.
