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Pauline Hanson expels Brian Burston from One Nation Brian Burston responds to Pauline Hanson: 'She has had a massive dummy spit'
(about 2 hours later)
Pauline Hanson has expelled Brian Burston from One Nation and called on him to resign his seat from the party and “hand it back to the party”. A defiant Brian Burston has told Pauline Hanson she will have to sack him to be rid of him from One Nation, after learning on live radio his leader no longer had confidence in him and had called on him to resign. The New South Wales senator accused his party leader of having “a massive dummy spit” and running a “dictatorship”
Burston, who learnt the news during a radio interview with 2GB, said he would not be vacating his Senate seat and told the party leader to “cancel my membership” as he would not be quitting. During a scheduled afternoon interview on Sydney radio 2GB, Burston was read a letter Hanson had sent him earlier in the afternoon, asking him to resign from the party, and the Senate, in order for One Nation to take back his seat. The interview had originally been set up for Burston to explain his side of his relationship breakdown with Hanson.
The move comes after Burston broke party ranks and said he would vote for the government company tax bill, despite Hanson’s about-face on the deal she had struck with Mathias Cormann.
Speaking to 2GB, Burston accused Hanson of having “a dummy spit”.
“I have been very loyal to her for 22 years,” he said.
It comes as Guardian Australia reported One Nation had launched an internal investigation into claims Burston had attempted to jump ship.
EXCLUSIVE: @PaulineHansonOz says PLEASE RESIGN to @SenatorBurston. #auspol Senator Burston is about to respond on @SydneyLive2GB pic.twitter.com/gO30F9SYg8EXCLUSIVE: @PaulineHansonOz says PLEASE RESIGN to @SenatorBurston. #auspol Senator Burston is about to respond on @SydneyLive2GB pic.twitter.com/gO30F9SYg8
Hanson’s chief of staff, James Ashby, said any suggestion the party was investigating whether its New South Wales senator had attempted to defect to another party was “an internal matter”, after a furious Hanson broke down on Sky News, declaring that Burston, a longtime friend, would not “finish her”. The letter had been released publicly on social media, but Burston, in an extraordinary live air exchange with host Ben Fordham, said he had not seen it.
On Thursday night, Burston denied he had approached the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party, while others suggested a third party had been used to approach the Shooters party executive, which roundly rejected the offer. “I am guessing you have seen that letter from Pauline Hanson,” Fordham said.
The falling out between Hanson and her long-time loyalist appears irreparable – Burston confided to friends last week about his concerns the relationship had broken down. “No, I haven’t,” Burston replied.
However, expelling Burston from the party will leave Hanson with just two votes in the Senate, giving more power to the two remaining Centre Alliance senators, and independents Tim Storer and Derryn Hinch. “You haven’t seen it?”
The Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm said Burston was “quite upset” during a dinner between the pair about “where things were going with his relationship with Pauline” and had raised the idea of a forming a crossbench party. “No.”
“I provided a sympathetic ear as he was raising all sorts of ideas about the future,” Leyonhjelm said. “But there was nothing concrete and all he did was canvass ‘do you think it would be possible to...’, but it never went past a discussion over a glass of wine.” “It was sent to you this afternoon.”
At the same time, Hanson and Ashby were canvassing for what has been described as a “conservative crossbench super bloc” with allied senators, as the party began to look at its future relevance. “Oh. OK. I’ll have to have a look for it.”
Mark Latham was reportedly the party’s No 1 pick. The former Labor leader told Channel Nine he would not not detail any private conversations, but had been approached by “four different parties” to join the Senate. “It was sent to your office this afternoon, via your chief of staff, I believe. They haven’t shown it to you?”
Leyonhjelm said he had not been approached and Cory Bernardi told Guardian Australia he “would not confirm or deny” any approach having been made and that “private conversations remain private”. “No, my chief of staff is out of the office in northern New South Wales at the moment. He may not have picked it up either.”
But he ruled out joining or merging with the party, in any case. “I have zero interest in joining any other political party,” he said. “Do you want me to read it to you?”
“The Australian Conservatives are providing a credible, principled and stable alternative on the crossbench and that is what I intend to keep doing.” “Yes please.”
Bob Katter, who had at one stage flirted with the idea of joining the two parties in Queensland, also ruled out any merger, while his son Robbie, who leads the party in the Katters’ home state, said he had not been “formally approached” but discussions with other parties “happened all the time”. After hearing Hanson wrote she “no longer had confidence in you as an officer of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation” and had removed him as the deputy registered officer both in NSW and federally, while imploring him to resign from the Senate as the “honourable thing to do”, Burston responded “well, that’s disappointing”.
“We are pretty confident within ourselves as a party,” he said. “She is saying she’s no longer got the confidence I’ll agree with every single decision she makes, as president for life,” he said.
“I thought I joined One Nation as a democractic political party, not a dictorship.
“I am very disappointed with that letter, however I shall inform – over the radio 2GB – Senator Hanson I will not be vacating my senator position in the house and I shall not be resigning from One Nation.
“If she wants to remove me from One Nation, she is entitled to cancel my membership and that will make me an independent, but that is her call.”
Burston said he had shown Hanson “loyalty for 22 years”.
“Unfortunately because I said I was going to cross the floor, which hasn’t happened yet, she has had a massive dummy spit and I am very disappointed with her immature and childish reaction to it,” he said.
“The crocodile tears last night I believe were genuine, but that was mainly in response to the allegations I was trying to join another political party, which was false. So, I will not be resigning from One Nation and I certainly will not ever resign from my Senate position.”
One Nation launched an internal investigation into allegations Burston had looked to join the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party on Thursday.
A furious Hanson, who had learned Burton had reportedly made an approach to join another party just moments before going on air with Sky News on Thursday night, declared Burston would not “finish her” and that she would “win”.
Burston said the approach to the Shooter’s party was made by a constituent of his, without his knowledge, who told him of the attempt late Thursday afternoon. He maintained he had not made any approach himself.
“I’ll be one of the other 23 people who have either walked or been sacked,” Burston said of Hanson’s record a party leader. “I’ll be 24 out of 30, not a good record.”
At the same time, Hanson and Ashby were canvassing for what has been described as a “conservative crossbench super bloc” party with allied senators.
Mark Latham was reportedly the party’s No 1 pick. On Friday afternoon the Daily Telegraph confirmed he had joined the Liberal Democrats and was expected to run for the party at the NSW state election.
Leyonhjelm said he had not been approached, and Cory Bernardi told Guardian Australia, he would “not confirm or deny” any appoach having been made and that “private conversations would remain private”.
“I have zero interest in joining any other political party,” he said.
House MP Bob Katter, who at one stage flirted with the idea of joining his party with Hanson’s in Queensland, also ruled out a merger, while his son Robbier, who leads the party in the Katters’ home state, said he had not been “formally approached” but discussions with; other parties “happened all the time”.
“We are pretty confident within ourselves as a party,” he told Guardian Australia.
“We’ll always try and work constructively with other crossbenchers to try and reduce the influence of the major parties, but we’re pretty happy with what we are doing.”“We’ll always try and work constructively with other crossbenchers to try and reduce the influence of the major parties, but we’re pretty happy with what we are doing.”
Some crossbenchers reported a “real turnaround” in One Nation’s attitude after Hanson’s April trip to Afghanistan failed to create the predicted media storm. Some crossbenchers reported a “real turn-around” in One Nation’s attitude after Hanson’s April trip to Afganistan failed to create the predicted media storm.
The breakdown in the relationship between Hanson and Burston can be traced back to February, when Hanson announced that the former senator Malcolm Roberts would be the party’s lead Senate candidate in Queensland, but Burston and the Western Australia senator Peter Georgiou would need to “submit their papers like all the other candidates”. “I think that is when they began to think ‘hang on, what’s happening here?’ because a year ago, you’d be seeing photos of her on that base for weeks. Even her home paper has cooled.”
“Brian was very affronted by that,” one source close to Burston said. The breakdown in the relationship between Hanson and Burston was traced back to February, when Hanson announced former senator Malcolm Roberts would be the party’s lead Senate candidate in Queensland, but Burston and WA senator Peter Georgiou would need to “submit their papers like all the other candidates”.
“He felt that was very unfair, he took offence at the whole thing, that Malcolm was annointed for Queensland, but he, who was still in the Senate representing the party, would have to apply, with the idea they were looking for someone better.” “Brian was very affronted by that,” one source close to the senator said. “He felt that was very unfair, he took offence at the whole thing, that Malcolm was anointed for Queensland, but he, who was still in the Senate representing the party, would have to apply, with the idea they were looking for someone better.”
Hanson is understood to have found out Burston had reportedly made an approach to the Shooters party “just minutes” before she appeared on Sky News on Thursday night and was “still processing the news” as the interview began. Hanson was understood to also be weighing up Burston’s future, after the “preference whisperer”, Glenn Druery, who has long stiched up deals with minor parties, ensuring their electoral future, told her the other parties would not work with Burston.
But she was understood to also be weighing up Burston’s future, after the “preference whisperer” Glenn Druery, who has long stiched up deals with minor parties ensuring their electoral future, told her the other parties would not work with Burston.
“In the past he has made and broken deals,” Druery told Guardian Australia. “His dealings have been less than honest.”
On Friday, Hanson said on Twitter she would “continue to work hard in the Senate”, but shed no light on the internal party hostilities.
Thank you for all the kind messages of support! I know I wear my heart on my sleeve sometimes but I have always tried to be open & honest with the people. I will continue to work hard in the Senate fighting for what I believe in & fighting for Australia. -PHThank you for all the kind messages of support! I know I wear my heart on my sleeve sometimes but I have always tried to be open & honest with the people. I will continue to work hard in the Senate fighting for what I believe in & fighting for Australia. -PH
Burston and Hanson fell out for the first time after the disintegration of One Nation in the late 1990s, and he was sacked from the party in 2000 following “internal disputes”. Burston and Hanson fell out following the disintegration of One Nation in the late 1990s, with Burston sacked from the party in 2000 following “internal disputes”.
The pair mended their relationship in the following years, and Burston has said it was his idea for Hanson to take back the One Nation name, leading up to her 2016 election win, which, after years of false starts, successfully catapulted her back into parliament. The pair mended their relationship in the following years, and Burston has said it was his idea for Hanson to take back the One Nation name before her 2016 election win, which, after years of false starts, successfully catapulted her back into parliament.
Arriving with another three senators, Hanson held a decisive vote in the Senate, which was weakened after a fallout with Rod Culleton, who was later found to have been ineligible for election. Arriving with another three senators, Hanson held a decisive bloc, which was weakened following a fallout with Rod Culleton, who was later found to have been ineligible for election.
A second blow was dealt after her Queensland stablemate Roberts was found to have been a dual citizen, and also ineligible to sit in parliament, and his replacement, Fraser Anning, left the party moments after being sworn into the Senate.A second blow was dealt after her Queensland stablemate Roberts was found to have been a dual citizen, and also ineligible to sit in parliament, and his replacement, Fraser Anning, left the party moments after being sworn into the Senate.
Hanson is due to fly to the UK on Saturday as part of a parliamentary delegation. She has said she will try to visit Tommy Robinson, founder of the far-right English Defence League, who was jailed last week for contempt of court after broadcasting live video from outside a court in Leeds that threatened to cause a trial to collapse. The case of Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has become a touchstone for the international extreme right.Hanson is due to fly to the UK on Saturday as part of a parliamentary delegation. She has said she will try to visit Tommy Robinson, founder of the far-right English Defence League, who was jailed last week for contempt of court after broadcasting live video from outside a court in Leeds that threatened to cause a trial to collapse. The case of Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has become a touchstone for the international extreme right.
Burston did not return multiple requests for comment.Burston did not return multiple requests for comment.
Pauline HansonPauline Hanson
One NationOne Nation
Australian politicsAustralian politics
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