This was published 7 years ago
Federal election 2016: Hanson's former right hand man says Barnaby Joyce the key to working with Pauline
By Tom McIlroy
The man who wrote Pauline Hanson's explosive 1996 maiden speech says Barnaby Joyce could be the government's intermediary for One Nation, predicting her calls for a royal commission into Islam won't succeed.
Friend and adviser John Pasquarelli has told Fairfax Media that Malcolm Turnbull's suggestion Ms Hanson was "not a welcome presence" in Australian politics had won her party more support from disaffected voters and said One Nation would win seats at the next Queensland state election.
Ms Hanson has pledged to give Mr Turnbull a "rude awakening" when she arrives back in Parliament after an 18-year absence, warning she would be a thorn in the side of the government.
The party is on track to pick up three Senate seats, in Queensland, NSW and Western Australia.
Former Pauline Hanson adviser John Pasquarelli says the One Nation leader will be a force in the Senate.Credit: Michael Clayton Jones
"Turnbull as prime minister has me totally confused, like many other conservatives were," Mr Pasquarelli said.
"He opened up the gates for Pauline when he opted for the double dissolution . . . then he threw the gates wide open when he said there was no place for Pauline in Parliament.
"I can't believe he said it. As they say in the language of the internet - that went viral, absolutely viral.
"What does it tell ordinary, sensible Australians? She's entitled to have her views."
Pauline Hanson with her former adviser John Pasquarelli.Credit: Mike Bowers
Mr Pasquarelli split with his controversial boss in the 1990s after advising her to stand for the Senate in 1998, rather than contest the Queensland seat of Blair, which she went on to lose.
The pair reconnected earlier this year and have been in regular contact via text message since the election result, which left Mr Turnbull with a tiny majority and an emboldened Senate crossbench.
Ms Hanson held a combative press conference days after the election, arguing a royal commission was needed to establish whether Islam was a religion or a political ideology.
She warned of terrorism in local communities and said Australians feared their suburbs had been "swamped by Asians".
One Nation policy wants a cessation of Muslim immigration to Australia and a ban on new mosques.
Ms Hanson is set to appear on ABC TV's Q&A program on Monday.
"People like Barnaby Joyce have the tough brains and the intelligence to understand what the story is with Pauline," Mr Pasquarelli said.
"I'm hoping Barnaby will be much more sensible because of the National Party connection."
He predicted One Nation would stand a field of candidates in Queensland, just as it did in 1998 when it won 11 seats.
"It's history revisited. They will take votes from Labor like she did last time but also from the Nationals," Mr Pasquarelli said.
"She won't get all of those things she's been talking about like the royal commission into Islam; that of course won't happen but she's allowed to talk about that.
"There's other things she can help people out with, like farmers and workers and small business.
"Pauline knows all about small business, having run the fish and chip shop for all those years," he said.