Pauline Hanson | |
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![]() Hanson in 2017 | |
Leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation | |
Assumed office 29 November 2014[1] | |
Deputy | Malcolm Roberts Steve Dickson (2017–19) Brian Burston (2016–18) |
General Secretary | Rod Miles James Ashby (2014–19) Ian Nelson (2014) |
Preceded by | Jim Savage |
In office 11 April 1997 – 27 January 2002[1] | |
Deputy | Brian Burston John Fischer (2000–02) |
National Director | David Ettridge David Oldfield (1997–2000) |
Preceded by | Party created |
Succeeded by | John Fischer |
Senator for Queensland | |
Assumed office 2 July 2016 | |
Preceded by | Glenn Lazarus |
Leader of Pauline Hanson's United Australia Party | |
In office 24 May 2007 – 31 March 2010 | |
Deputy | Brian Burston |
Preceded by | Party created |
Succeeded by | Party dissolved |
Member of the Australian Parliament for Oxley | |
In office 2 March 1996 – 3 October 1998 | |
Preceded by | Les Scott |
Succeeded by | Bernie Ripoll |
Councillor of the City of Ipswich for Division 7[3][4] | |
In office 3 April 1994[2] – 22 March 1995[2][5] | |
Preceded by | Paul Pisasale |
Succeeded by | Denise Hanly |
Personal details | |
Born | Pauline Lee Seccombe 27 May 1954 Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia |
Political party | One Nation (1997–2002; 2013–present) |
Other political affiliations | Independent (before 1996; 1996–1997; 2010–2013) Liberal (1996) Pauline's UAP (2007–2010) |
Residence(s) | Beaudesert, Queensland, Australia |
Education | Buranda Girls' School,[6] Coorparoo State School[7] |
Occupation | Small business owner – Fish and chip shop (Marsden Hanson Pty Ltd) Administrative clerk (Taylors Elliotts Ltd) |
Profession | Politician |
Signature | ![]() |
Website | www |
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Elections as Leader ![]() |
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This article is part of a series on |
Conservatism in Australia |
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Pauline Lee Hanson (née Seccombe, formerly Zagorski; born 27 May 1954) is an Australian politician who is the founder and leader of One Nation, a right-wing populist political party. Hanson has represented Queensland in the Australian Senate since the 2016 Federal Election.
Hanson ran a fish and chip shop before entering politics in 1994 as a member of Ipswich City Council in her home state. She joined the Liberal Party of Australia in 1995 and was preselected for the Division of Oxley in Brisbane at the 1996 federal election. She was disendorsed shortly before the election after making contentious comments about Aboriginal Australians, but remained listed as a Liberal on the ballot paper. Hanson won the election and took her seat as an independent, before co-founding One Nation in 1997 and becoming its only MP. She attempted to switch to the Division of Blair at the 1998 federal election but was unsuccessful. Nevertheless, her newly formed party experienced a surge in popularity at the 1998 Queensland state election, garnering the second-highest number of votes of any party in the state.
After her defeat in 1998, Hanson unsuccessfully contested the 2001 election as the leader of One Nation but was expelled from the party in 2002. A District Court jury found Hanson guilty of electoral fraud in 2003, but her convictions were later overturned by three judges on the Queensland Court of Appeal. She spent 11 weeks in jail prior to the appeal being heard.
Following her release, Hanson ran in several state and federal elections, as the leader of Pauline Hanson's United Australia Party and as an independent before rejoining One Nation in 2013 and becoming leader again the following year. She was narrowly defeated at the 2015 Queensland state election, but was elected to the Senate at the 2016 federal election, along with three other members of the party. She was re-elected at the 2022 federal election.