This was published 7 years ago
Pauline Hanson doesn't speak for Queensland: Curtis Pitt
Queensland's politicians have continued to stress that Pauline Hanson does not speak for the state, as concerns continue to grow the outspoken One Nation leader could impact the state's vulnerable economy.
Queensland relies heavily on Asian trading partners and tourists to boost its economy.
Pauline Hanson's declaration we are "in danger of being swamped by Asians" could cause some uncomfortable moments for ministers travelling abroad.Credit: AAP
Ms Hanson, who once said the nation was in danger of being "swamped" by Asians, made international headlines during her last foray into the Australian Parliament.
Now, with Ms Hanson set to enter the Senate where neither major party holds voting control, Queensland's government is urging caution.
Treasurer Curtis Pitt said he would advise trade delegates and other bureaucrats who are asked about Ms Hanson's return to politics to be respectful of the process.
"I think what we need to be saying is we have a democratic process in Australia and people are elected and as a result of that democratic process, they have the right to be heard," he said.
"However, it doesn't mean that they speak for all Australians and they certainly don't [all] speak for Queensland.
"Every elected person has a responsibility to be responsible and speak in appropriate terms about our trading partners and the opportunities in our state.
"So that is what I will be doing and what all my cabinet colleagues will be doing as well. It is important that we send out all of the right signals as a government that we are a destination that is open for investment."
While Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been at pains to point out Ms Hanson does not speak for the state, Mr Pitt said he understood that some voters did not feel like they were being heard, leading to a backlash against the major parties at the federal election.
"... [What we've seen is] people who feel as though they need to voice their concerns that they feel like they are being left behind," he said.
"That is an issue for the Labor Party, for the Coalition, and of course in Queensland, specifically the LNP to take notice of.
"I come from regional Queensland and I know that there has been, in the past, some very strong results for minor parties, including the One Nation Party.
"So I am taking this result seriously and looking to re-double my efforts to re-engage the community."
The government has moved into election mode, with Labor halfway through its first term in the hung parliament now looking to its next.
The prominence of One Nation during the federal election, particularly in Queensland where the party, in some key regional areas, received one in five votes, is concerning both the LNP and Labor.
In 1998, One Nation won 11 seats in the Queensland Parliament and secured 233 per cent of the vote under the optional preferential voting system. Labor has since moved Queensland to a compulsory preferential voting system, which former premier Peter Beattie has warned could lead to a resurgence of One Nation in the Queensland Parliament.