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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 4 Hansard (7 May) . . Page.. 1039 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

we support the motion that is being discussed today. But we have to get out into the community and argue why the comments being made by her are wrong. It is all very well for politicians like John Howard, Kim Beazley, Kate Carnell, Andrew Whitecross and whoever to rise and point a finger at Pauline Hanson and make those sorts of criticisms. It is one thing to do that. It is another to get out there and explain to people, to argue a case before people, as to why these sorts of comments should not be tolerated in our community. Mr Speaker, I do not believe that we can pass the motion today and feel satisfied with ourselves that we have scotched the Pauline Hanson phenomenon. I think that we have much more work to do in order to do that.

I have had the misfortune to be able to read some of Pauline Hanson's book. I am not sure that it is Pauline Hanson's book, to be frank. The first, shorter part of the book is extracts from speeches made by Pauline Hanson and press releases. I have heard Pauline Hanson speak on television, on radio and so on, and the comments that she has made in those settings, where she has had to speak viva voce - live - have been very inarticulate and in very poorly constructed sentences. Very badly expressed and poorly chosen words have been evident.

Ms McRae: So what?

MR HUMPHRIES: You ask the question: So what? The question that I ask is: Who are the people behind Pauline Hanson? Who are the people who are building - - -

Ms McRae: I let you know. I gave you a list.

MR HUMPHRIES: I know that you have an opinion, Ms McRae. We have heard your opinion, and we will hear it very well, I am sure, as you call out across the chamber. But my opinion is that Pauline Hanson is the mouthpiece for other people, and I would like to know who they are. Certainly, her comments here look like carefully crafted speeches drafted by somebody else, rather than by - - -

Mr Whitecross: John Howard.

MR HUMPHRIES: I am quite certain that John Howard has not drafted any of these speeches. I would like to know who has. We know that, these days, it is not John Pasquarelli.

Mr Moore: I imagine that, occasionally, some people have helped draft speeches for you, Gary.

MR HUMPHRIES: Indeed, but most of the things I say are my own work. In fact, almost everything I say is my own work. I do not think the same can be said of Pauline Hanson. This is why I make these comments.

Mr Speaker, this is a very bad book. It is a very poorly put together book. The arguments ramble. The cases that are made for certain things - such as attacks on Asian immigration and attacks on the "privileges" of Aborigines, so called - are based on very poorly selected and randomly quoted "facts", so called. Some of the information in this book is actually inaccurate; but, more to the point, it draws on inaccurate information

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