Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

What I am saying here is work together as a parliament to pull this country together, because people are relying on us to do the right thing by them. We have people out there who are relying on us to make the right decisions.

Senator Chisholm got up, and he spoke about me. He spoke about the GST, and about WA, and about what I am saying and that it is not right for Queensland. In the last seven months—prior to that actually; a year before the election—I have travelled Queensland quite extensively. Senator Chisholm, where were you with the Singaporean land acquisition? Where were you with the cane growers? The people of Queensland would not even know who Senator Chisholm is, or who Senator Ketter is, or who Senator Watt is. They never see them. I never see them. No-one ever says anything to me. People would not even know who the Labor senators for Queensland are; would not have a clue! What are they doing for Queensland?

As for the WA election and the GST for WA, I will just put it on record—Senator Chisholm made a comment that I was taking money from Queensland. That is not the case. I said it is an unfair deal for WA, only getting 30 per cent of the deal for GST. It is not fair. Everything that I do and say, I look at what is fair right across the board for all Australians. It is not about taking money from Queensland, because we have a lot of other states that are getting far more GST. I am looking at things that are fair, and people would expect no less of me in my position as a senator in this parliament.

They talk about the WA elections and the deal done. Labor cannot get away from it. I think Labor are concerned because they are not going to get preferences from One Nation at the next election. Let me tell you, it was the Labor state secretary who approached a member of my office to do a deal at the Queensland election. You are making comments about the WA election, but let me make it quite clear: Labor have approached us to run dead in some seats in Queensland. But you were not interested in that. You are making comments about this. The Labor Party are so hypocritical in this chamber that the people of Australia need to know this.

Senator Chisholm made a comment about me and my party in 1998. Let me tell you this: I actually had charges brought against me by Tony Abbott—sorry; it was not Tony Abbott. He funded Terry Sharples to bring charges against me. But it was the then Premier of Queensland, Peter Beattie, Labor Premier Peter Beattie, who then deregistered the party in Queensland, which forced the members of parliament to go and register another political party. And prior to my trial, it was Peter Beattie—Labor—who, instead of making it a six-month jail term or a fine, made it seven years so that the judge could convict me for up to seven years. He did that prior to my trial. This is Labor; you really are for the battlers. That is what I say to Senator Chisholm. Get your facts straight. If you are going to have a go at me, get them straight; know what you are talking about. He did not know what he was talking about.

The whole thing about this, about when the Labor Party talk about the fight for the lowest paid—I am actually ridiculed over the rates. Isn't it quite interesting that Labor were the ones, under Bill Shorten, who brought in the 457 visa holders to more than 100,000? Where were they to protect the jobs in Australia? These 457 visa holders have taken up jobs in McDonald's, in Kentucky Fried Chicken and all these other places. I owned my own small business. If I owned my own business now I would have to pay the rates of $34 an hour, but if you work at McDonald's—this is great of the union bosses; they have done the EBAs—you only get paid $26 an hour. They are really looking after their workers! If you have a cleaning business in a small motel, you pay $31 an hour. You could pay possibly $10 less if you worked for a big chain, all through the unions and the EBA agreements. Labor are really looking after the workers in this country! You have done a fantastic job!

I must remind Labor as well: didn't we have a vote in the parliament here when I moved a motion for former prime ministers of this country to no longer get their offices and staff paid for? Who opposed it? Labor. Where were you worrying about the battlers of this country? You were not. You were protecting the elites of this country. They did not need to be protected—they are former prime ministers on thousands of dollars—but you protected them. And you talk about the battlers.

Or what about when we moved a motion here on the floor of parliament on freezing parliamentarians' wages until the budget was in surplus? Who was on this side of the house voting for it? It was One Nation and Cory Bernardi and Jacqui Lambie. Where were you, Labor, and the coalition? You were on the other side of the house. You would not bring yourselves to freeze your wages at all, yet you are now whingeing and complaining about the battlers out there. You are hypocrites, absolute hypocrites. My plan, as One Nation, is about—