Source : Perth Now news
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has declared she has what it takes to become prime minister, saying she could pull together an effective cabinet to run the government.
As support surges for her right-wing party, Senator Hanson said she “won’t knock the job” of prime minister while conceding she didn’t know if she would ever be elected to the job.
“I believe that I have the ability to do it,” she told Sky News on Sunday.
“I’m not going to underestimate myself or say no, I can’t do it, because … have a look at what we’ve got now… and that’s why we’re in a mess.
“Whether it’s Pauline Hanson as prime minister or we’ve got someone else to take on that job … I will look at who’s the best person to do it.”
A recent RedBridge/Accent Research poll showed One Nation could win up to 59 seats in parliament if an election were held now, leaving Labor with a slim majority, the Liberals with a handful of seats and the Nationals with none.
The fish-and-chip-shop owner turned firebrand conservative said she had confidence One Nation MPs would be able to form a competent cabinet if the party won government.
“I’m getting a great team around me, and even those members of parliament that I have now, they’re great, down-to-earth – the experience and knowledge they have behind them, it’s marvellous,” Senator Hanson said.
Senator Hanson again said she was considering moving to the lower house at the next election, but she did not say which seat she wanted to contest.
“I’m not making a decision now and I’m not going to tell anyone what I’m doing at this moment because I haven’t clearly made up my mind,” she said.
By convention, Australia’s prime minister serves in the lower house, rather than the Senate.
Pressed on her party’s stance on Muslim immigration, Senator Hanson said she wanted to ban the burqa and left the door open to blocking people from certain countries from entering Australia.
“If you’ve got people coming from these countries that are radical Islamists, and their ideology is not compatible with our country … there’s certain countries I probably would ban them coming into Australia,” she said.
The One Nation leader also defended her ties to mining magnate Gina Rinehart, who recently gifted the party a million-dollar private plane and has flown Senator Hanson to events in Australia and abroad.
“I appreciate the support she’s given me,” Senator Hanson said.
“I’ve been open and honest with it. I don’t know why people … have a problem with my having a plane which gets me out to regional areas.
“It’s no cost to the taxpayer. You don’t pay for the fuel.”
Ms Rinehart is Australia’s richest person and was previously a strong supporter of the Liberal Party.
