WA: One Nation will take out Howard and Beazley: Hanson

AAP General News (Australia)
02-11-2001
WA: One Nation will take out Howard and Beazley: Hanson

By Liza Kappelle

PERTH, Feb 11 AAP - One Nation would take out Prime Minister John Howard's government
and Kim Beazley's opposition in the upcoming federal election unless the party was given
a fair go, Pauline Hanson said today.

Ms Hanson said last night's West Australian election results showed the major parties
her movement should be taken seriously as a party with popular national appeal.

One Nation battered Richard Court's government last night after directing its preferences
away from sitting members.

Ms Hanson had hoped One Nation would win WA seats, but a decision by all major parties
to put One Nation last on how-to-vote cards ended that ambition and prompted the party's
attack on incumbents.

Earlier today, Mr Howard said it would be wrong to see the result as a triumph for One Nation.

He said the party's vote was almost identical to its WA vote in the 1998 federal election,
but he was especially keen to see how One Nation fared in the forestry seats.

Ms Hanson said she was happy with One Nation's victory and philosophical about Mr Howard's
refusal to take the result seriously.

"They don't want to. They try and close their eyes and ears about it," Ms Hanson said.

She denied charges One Nation's sitting member strategy was an election spoiler, saying
she had been taken out the same way in the 1998 federal election.

One Nation would place all sitting members last in the federal election this year unless
they discussed preference deals with the party.

Ms Hanson believes it might scare some members into preference deals - but not the
prime minister.

"With John Howard? No. I think he's too stubborn and I think he's too arrogant," she said.

"It's like, he's the man who said we'll never, never have a GST. We've got a GST. He
doesn't listen to people.

"If there's going to be any pressure it will come from the sitting members because
a lot of these people are sitting on marginal seats and our preferences will determine
whether they remain in the seat or lose the seat."

Ms Hanson said Mr Beazley would lose his marginal seat if One Nation targeted him.

"It's a clear message to give us a fair go," she said.

AAP lk/sd/md/de

KEYWORD: POLLWA NATION LEAD

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