PAULINE'S PUPPETEER

She markets herself as a simple working woman from Ipswich who talks from the heart. But her appeal to the Far Right is increasingly disturbing and she has polarised a nation with her intolerance and racism. Now, as the Review discovered, it appears there is a lot more to Pauline Hanson than she would like us to believe.

By Adam Indikt

Enter John Pasquarelli - anti-government, anti Asian, anti-black, anti-Catholic Church; he seems to be just about anti everything. And he's big. Big John is as big and as bald and as tough a customer as any of the crocodiles he shot and skinned in his days 'up the Sepik' river in Papua New Guinea. Today he runs Independent MP Pauline Hanson's office, and by all accounts he runs her too.

Pasquarelli ruled his little section of the PNG jungle in the 1960s, trading in crocodile skins and native art - he was even elected a member of the PNG House of Assembly for the electorate of Angoram from 1964 to 1968. Martin Kerr, his long time friend and business associate recalls Pasquarelli well. In his book, New Guinea Patrol, Kerr dedicates an entire chapter to "Big John Pasquarelli". It's a rare insight into the crocodile hunter turned populist political backroom boy.

Big John didn't seem to have a healthy respect for the local indigenous New Guinea population. "His attitude to wards natives bore the satisfaction of a completely dominant masta-servant relationship. A kanaka was a kanaka to John," recalls Kerr.

Another former acquaintance from PNG who asked not to be named told the Review, "for Pasquarelli the locals were coons. He thought that they weren't long out of the trees." But that still didn't seem to stop Big John having some fun with them. Kerr recalls, "John maintained a pleasant household in Angoram, and before long I had nocturnal visits by the new lot of girls on the town. This was one aspect of John's life which I liked, if I did not admire." On one occasion, Kerr and Pasquarelli entered a Department office of the District Administration in Ambunti. Kerr recalls, "A couple of native women were scrubbing the floor.

'Let's get into it then,' said John, showing impatience.

'Into what?' I said, looking at the native women. 'You mean those?'

'O.K. there's plenty of time for that in Angoram,' John cut me off."

With PNG independence fast approaching, John Pasquarelli sold out his crocodile skin trading operation in New Guinea and returned to Australia in 1970. He joined the Liberal Party, (membership which he still retains) standing for and failing to receive pre-selection for the seat of Jagajaga in Victoria, in 1978. In the late 80s he took a position on the staff of then Federal National Party Senator John Stone and contributed to B.A. Santamaria's publication News Weekly. Among his favourite targets was the Mabo decision and Aboriginal land rights, which he condemned in July 1993 as "Mabo Madness". He also suggested on 60 Minutes last week, that the 'Jewish lobby' in Melbourne stood outside mainstream Australia.

Pasquarelli's new charge, controversial Independent Federal MP Pauline Hanson, was dumped from Liberal preselection for the Brisbane seat of Oxley before going on to win her place in Parliament on the back of controversial racist and anti-Aboriginal claims. She has drawn widespread support throughout Australia including praise from John Stone, Graeme Campbell and League of Rights leader Eric Butler, who has dubbed her "The Hanson Miracle" and "The Hanson Bombshell" and is distributing copies of her maiden speech to thousands of supporters nationally.

Hanson has emerged as one of the most revered figures in the rejuvenated far right network in Australia. The Review has learned that during the March Federal election, she directed preferences to Victor Robb, a well known neo-Nazi extremist who also ran as an Independent candidate for the federal seat of Oxley.

Robb is the former secretary of the Queensland branch of the neo-Nazi National Front of Australia. He distinguished himself as the first ever election candidate for the neo-Nazi group when he contested in 1978 the Sherwood State by election and later, in 1980, ran for the Australian Senate with Rosemary Sisson, the Front leader.

Reminiscent of Pauline Hanson today, Robb campaigned at the time on a platform of making Australia racially pure - including the removal of all Asians from the country. "We'd encourage them to leave. There are several ways, many ways," he told Paul Lyneham during an interview in 1978 referring to non white immigrants in Australia.

Victor Robb advocates bizarre economic views which include the end of the banking system in order to "bring about the salvation of civilisation". During the Federal election Hanson directed her preferences to Robb, who con firmed to the Review this week that he also directed preferences to Hanson and "thoroughly supports Hanson's views." One of Robb's election advertisements called for the "anti-Asianisation of Australia".

But Robb was not alone in his support for 'Independent' candidate Hanson. Even though Hanson was disendorsed by the Queensland Liberal Party she appears to have continued to receive support from the party's local branches.

After losing her place on the local Ipswich Council following the April 1995 amalgamation of the Moreton and Ipswich councils, on August 2 1995 Hanson joined the local Bremer branch of the Liberal Party. Astonishingly, after only being a member for three months, she was pre-selected to contest the then safe-Labor seat of Oxley in the forthcoming federal election. On the 12 February 1996, Hanson achieved her first national headlines with claims during the election that Aboriginals were responsible for racist sentiment which existed towards them. Two days later, she was disendorsed by the Queensland division of the Liberal Party with the assent of party leader John Howard.

Yet, the ballot papers had already been printed, reading 'Pauline Hanson - Liberal', and hundreds of fliers and posters were distributed throughout the seat of Oxley reading 'Hanson - Liberal'.

According to Les Scott, the then sitting ALP member and David Pullen, the candidate for the Australian Democrats in Oxley, the Liberal machine was also still openly assisting the Hanson campaign.

Members of the Bremer branch of the Liberal Party distributed Hanson Independent How-to-Vote cards outside polling booths in one hand and Liberal Senate How-to-Vote cards with the other. According to Les Scott, both Steve Wilson, the President of the Bremer Branch and his wife scrutineered for Hanson on election day. Wilson confirmed to the Review that local Liberal branch members, including his wife, distributed Hanson How-to Vote cards at polling booths on election day, and that he had also scrutineered for Hanson. "She's a hero in Ipswich", he said.

David Pullen also recalls standing next to a Liberal Party member outside one of Ipswich's polling booths on election day. "He was an elderly man, handing out How-to Vote cards for Pauline Hanson. He spoke in glowing terms about her, and in the same conversation recalled to his friend about the rifle he kept on his mantelpiece - a rifle he claimed to have used to kill a number of Aborigines."

After the election the Queensland division of the Liberal Party claimed the $55,000 matching funding subsidy available from the Australian Electoral Commission for her votes. According to Hanson, she not the Liberal Party is entitled to the money. The dispute has been referred to Hanson's solicitors.

The Federal Election took place on Saturday March 2. The next morning Hanson discovered she had won the seat with a 19% swing. By Wednesday, she had appointed John Pasquarelli as her Press Secretary cum Senior Adviser cum Office Manager. Pasquarelli, the former adviser to the Federal MP for Kalgoorlie, Graeme Campbell, had only a attempted to establish the " Graeme Campbell Independent Movement" which failed to receive official electoral commission registration as a political party due to the announcement of the March election.

Campbell claims to have seen Hanson in need and sent Pasquarelli from his staff to help out. "I saw the dingo-like attack from the media. I thought, hell, this girl needs help," Campbell told the Australian Financial Review.

And indeed, Pasquarelli charged to her side. But not everyone was happy with the appointment of big John. According to Richard Gluyas, an Ipswich city councillor who worked closely with Hanson on the council "the job of senior adviser was initially offered to her campaign director Maurie Marsden," whom Gluyas claimed "had had a relationship with Hanson and is still infatuated with her." Marsden denies he was offered the job and claims that he and Hanson are "just very close friends." According to Gluyas, John Pasquarelli arrived, was offered the job Wednesday morning, accepted, and that afternoon an offer to Marsden for the same position was withdrawn. Marsden no longer works for Hanson but still thinks highly of her and told the Review that he is the "secret of her success."

Once in her office Pasquarelli appears to have taken control. The Review has learned that all Hanson's public statements are vetted in advance by Pasquarelli, who is also her speech writer. One of Pasquarelli's first acts was to ban Hanson talking to the ABC.

According to sources in the office of Graeme Campbell who would only speak on condition of anonymity, Pasquarelli maintains daily contact with Campbell even after being employed by Hanson. In fact Pasquarelli telephones Campbell's office several times a day. Campbell's office was used as a model for the establishment of Hanson's office down to the smallest detail. Even Campbell's letterhead and stationery were sent over from Kalgoorlie to be copied by Hanson's office.

When it came time to hire an electoral assistant - apart from Heidi, the former assistant in Hanson's fish and chip shop who is now the MP's receptionist - Pasquarelli was responsible for the employment. A former applicant told the Review that Pasquarelli made clear that the advisers job was not for a woman or anyone well educated or highly experienced.

Pasquarelli himself may yet emerge as a political liability for Hanson. Although he appears to have been instrumental in her elevation to national prominence, he is also one of her achilles heels. In the House of Representatives on October 17, Federal Liberal Member for Moreton, Gary Hardgrave, accused Pasquarelli of sexual harassment against a female member of his staff. "A female member of my staff has been subject to intimidation and threats, also aimed at me through her, by a certain male member of the staff of the honourable member for Oxley..." The matter has been referred to the Speaker.

The result of this union of Pasquarelli and Hanson was her maiden speech on September 10 this year. The speech was anti-Asian, anti-Aboriginal, anti-United Nations and until the last minute anti-homosexual (the word 'homosexual' was blackened from the text on the morning of the speech).

Conspiracy theories about an international world Government usually cite the United Nations as an inter national monolith destined to seize control of the sovereignty of independent states. It is a view most commonly espoused by the far-right American militias who argue that taking up arms against the US Government is necessary to prevent a UN invasion of the United States.

Pasquarelli, according to one source, had an abiding hatred for the United Nations and any sort of government structures, whom he frequently disparagingly condemns as "do-gooders".

Disturbingly, last week the Melbourne Sunday Herald Sun claimed that Pasquarelli met with Graeme Morris, a senior adviser to the Prime Minister, before John Howard's landmark 'freedom of speech' address to the Queensland Liberal Party last month.

Pauline Hanson was born on May 27, 1954 in Brisbane. She is twice divorced, marrying her first husband, a Polish immigrant, at the age of 17. She had her first child at 17 and her second shortly after. They later divorced. Both children, now in their twenties, are estranged from their mother, who has publicly rejected them, claiming they have an "arrogant attitude". She refused to attend her son's 18th or 21st birth days and will not talk to them. Hanson claims that her first husband disputed the paternity of their second child, Steven, despite her offering to 'get DNA testing'.

"I don't think she is a nice person by any stretch of the imagination. I'm not interested in her politics or affiliations. She's not a nice person. She's got one love in her life - that's money. She uses kids as a pawn as a tool. She's a mean vindictive person," claims her first husband, Walter.

"There's no reason for her to be the way she is. She's had a reasonably good education, a reasonable upbringing, I just don't understand it."

"She was always looking for something. She was al ways after something. Money. Bloody Oath. Money is the bottom line with her. Her idea of happiness is a Mercedes Benz and money. I pity the woman."

Hanson later married a plumber, Mark Hanson in 1980. The couple had two children, but again she divorced. Mark Hanson recently claimed publicly in the Brisbane Courier Mail that she had cheated on him. Pauline Hanson denies this, and claims that she hasn't been involved with a romantic partner "for years".

The daughter of a wealthy local business couple, Jack and Hanorah Seccombe, Hanson has played heavily on the image of being a white Anglo-Saxon working class battler, struggling to survive in a multicultural jungle. But Hanson operates a fish and chip shop, Marsden Seafood in Ipswich (now up for sale), and also has substantial property holdings including a house in the Ipswich suburb of Silkstone, and a farm called 'Colleyville'. In her statement of pecuniary interest, required by Parliament for all MPs, she lists a 1988 Magna sedan as her only other as set valued above $5000. Presumably, Hanson's six cross-Arabian horses, which she told Who Weekly magazine she loves breaking in, are valued at less than $5000.

Hanson has been proprietor of Marsden's Seafood Snack Bar since 1987. The Review has been told that she continues to run the shop's operation from her electorate offices in Ipswich. On Fridays, orders are placed to suppliers for her fish and chip shop from her electorate office, located in the Commonwealth offices in Ipswich.

Patricia Thompson, Chairperson of the Ipswich Regional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Corporation Legal Service, says that Aborigines were not always treated well in Marsden's Seafood Snack Bar. "Last year, an Aboriginal man entered the shop, and after having to wait while other customers were served ahead of him, purchased some raw fish to cook later. On the way out he overheard Hanson sneering, 'There goes an Aborigine, he's going to eat that raw fish'."

In addition to her income from Marsden Seafood, and her two divorce settlements, Hanson also received a generous salary from the Ipswich Council during her term as a councillor. Her base remuneration during the year on council was $22,047 with an additional $7,653 in expenses and $2,636 in superannuation.

Councillor Paul Tully told the Review that her election to the Ipswich City Council was unremarkable, as was her performance.

Ipswich councillor Richard Gluyas, who told the Review he had a "close personal relationship with Pauline," said that there were no real issues on which Hanson stood out. According to Tully, she won election through her opposition to a local library project, but she flip-flopped and supported it after she was elected.

It appears, however, that her attitudes towards Aborigines were already evident whilst a councillor. A thorough examination of Council minutes for her period in office reveals that one of the few issues she took up in council was her strong opposition to an Aboriginal kindergarten.

In August 1994, Councillor Pauline Hanson success fully moved that a request by the Aboriginal Amaroo Kindergarten and Preschool Association for land or dwelling on a permanent basis be rejected. Hanson's motion also included the recommendation that the kindergarten be advised that it should seek assistance from ATSIC.

According to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC), several complaints have been received by the commission, charging Hanson with racist re marks against Aborigines. On June 14, 1996, the HREOC Race Discrimination Commissioner, Ms Zita Antonius, wrote to Pauline Hanson, requesting her reply to further com plaints relating to her anti-Aboriginal comments. Complaints were received from the Ipswich Regional Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Legal Service, the National Aboriginal and Islander Legal Services Secretariat, Mr Cecil Fisher (resident of Ipswich), Ms Patricia Thompson on behalf of herself and other members of the ATSIC for Legal Services, and Naomi Mayer Chief Executive Officer of the Aboriginal Medical Service, Redfern.

In her complaint to the HREOC, Patricia Thomson charged that Hanson had breached several sections of the Racial Discrimination Act. Included among her charges were that Hanson had claimed that she was only representing "the white community, the immigrants, Italians, Greeks, whoever, it really doesn't matter - anyone apart from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders".

Ms Antonius wrote requesting Hanson's response to charges that her comments breach sections 9, 13, and 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. In a letter dated July 24, Hanson claimed to have sought legal advice and "On that basis, I reserve all my rights and accordingly will not be communicating any further with your office." Hanson refused the processes of conciliation available through the HREOC. The case is still pending.

Pauline Hanson appears to be anything but a simple working class woman who speaks from the heart. With her lines carefully scripted there are serious concerns as to whether she is merely a vehicle for the reiteration of the missives of Graeme Campbell and John Pasquarelli. Has Hanson become a convenient spokeswoman for their discredited views?