Out of politics, and out of here, the former One Nation leader tells Glen Williams why she’s packing her bags.
Pauline Hanson sits serenely on her Queensland verandah and drinks in an inspiring view. It’s from this cool, polished deck she’s found a much-yearned-for peace in the midst of many turbulent years. After all, this is home. She built it, poured her soul into it.
Today her mood is part melancholy, part excitement. She is no stranger to conflicting emotions. Ultimately, she follows her heart.
And that’s precisely what this iconic copper-haired Aussie battler turned politician has decided to do. The packing cases in the corner of her lounge room are a dead giveaway.
After much soul searching, Pauline is moving on. She’s selling her property at Coleyville, south-west of Brisbane, and leaving Australia. She plans to take a cruise, then settle in New Zealand’s South Island for a few months, before relocating to the United Kingdom.
Wherever the wind takes her, Pauline knows one thing for sure: after deregistering Pauline’s United Australia Party, she is bidding farewell to politics for good.
“We never know what’s around the corner,” Pauline says, explaining her decision to leave Australia. “I’m 56 this year. So, while I’ve still got my health, I want to get out there.
“I’ve been tossing up whether to sell this place or not. It’s not an easy decision, I’ve loved it here. But it’s a lot of work for a single person and I think it’s time for me to move on.”
So why is she leaving the country she spent so long trying to help shape through politics?
“I know I will never be given a chance to re-enter Parliament again,” Pauline explains.
“Our governments lack enough people with the fortitude to speak up without fear or favour. Over-regulation, increasing taxes and lack of true representation are affecting our way of life. I feel very much for the young ones. Once it was common for them to own their own home. Not now. It’s a harder place. Sadly, the land of opportunity is no more applicable.
“Plus, there are a lot of things I want to do,” she adds. “Every country has something unique to offer. And I want to experience that, to live it, and not just for a brief time.
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