Please explain: Pauline Hanson’s right-hand man running in state poll
James Ashby, the chief of staff to One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, will stand for the party in the seat of Keppel at next year’s Queensland state election.
One Nation party official James Ashby walks from a press conference in Brisbane, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. The pair have been caught in an Al-Jazeera investigation which used hidden cameras and a journalist posing as a grassroots gun campaigner to expose the far-right party's extraordinary efforts to secure funding in Washington DC in September. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt) NO ARCHIVING
Mr Ashby would bring a wealth of high-level parliamentary and political experience to the Queensland parliament, Senator Hanson said in a statement on Friday.
“He’s passionate about supporting the communities of Central Queensland and addressing the many problems created by the Palaszczuk Labor government’s neglect and incompetence,” she said.
Mr Ashby said Queensland faced the prospect of a Labor government “held to ransom by inner-city Greens”, or a change of government supported by One Nation MPs dedicated to representing the interests of regional communities.
“The Nationals are dead in Queensland’s parliament while the Liberals are lurching further left in their attempts to secure inner-Brisbane seats,” he said.
“With the support of Keppel voters, I’ll work to deliver the policies needed to reduce cost-of-living pressures, improve housing availability and affordability, arrest youth crime and restore a long-term vision for Queensland.”
