Hanson: Culleton “not a team player” and “loves the publicity”

Speaking on 2GB Radio in Sydney today, Senator Hanson addressed comments from Senator Culleton yesterday admitting a rift existed within the party over his leader’s failure to support using the backpacker tax as leverage in negotiations last week, to win a Royal Commission into the banking sector.

Senator Hanson said her outspoken WA colleague and former Williams farmer had a great idea about the Royal Commission into banking, which she would pursue.

But she said the Prime Minister had actually given her party the ability to go forward with a Senate inquiry into banking, “under our terms of reference”.

Senator Hanson said One Nation won that inquiry but her party colleague was now “out there” saying she didn’t want a Royal Commission “but that’s absolute rubbish”.

“The whole banking sector has to be cleaned up,” she said.

Senator Hanson said she’d been in politics for 20 years but Senator Culleton was just “a new kid on the block”.

“To be telling me what to do; it’s just absolutely ridiculous,” she said.

“You can’t give him advice and he runs his own race; that’s not team-work.”

Senator Hanson said she could not believe how Senator Culleton and Victorian Senator Derryn Hinch had changed positions on the backpacker tax last week.

She said Senator Hinch had voted for a 19pc rate at the beginning, while she had agreed to a 15pc rate with her party.

Senators Hinch and Culleton voted for an amendment for a 10.5pc rate which torpedoed the government’s bill to pass the 15pc rate, on Wednesday last week.

In the end, the Greens struck a deal with the government to pass a 15pc rate, on Thursday, as last minute negotiations took centre stage in Canberra.

Senator Hanson said she had agreed to 15pc but Senator Culleton did a “complete spin and turnaround” with Senator Hinch, with the pair settling on 13pc, on Thursday.

“They were all over the bloody place – gosh I was angry – they wouldn’t have a clue what they hell they’re doing,” she said.

Senator Hanson said Senator Culleton was “not a team player at all”.

“We can’t work with him, you can’t reason with him, and honestly I think the whole lot has gone to his head,” she said.

“He loves the limelight, he loves the publicity and he’s not really listening to the advice.”

Senator Hanson said the WA Senator wasn’t interested in politics until she approached him earlier this year, ahead of the federal election.

She said if the High Court arrived at a decision this week - ruling that Senator Culleton wasn’t entitled to stand as a WA Senator - a recount would be held, which One Nation would win.

The next in line for One Nation’s place in the WA Senate is Senator Culleton’s brother-in-law Peter Georgiou which Senator Hanson expressed concerns about.

“Rod has indicated he wants to work with his brother in law, so we’re on the same merry go around,” she said.

“I’ll deal with this, ok - I’ve dealt with tougher things than Rod Culleton in this world.”

But Senator Hanson was also asked about her party’s methods of screening potential political candidates, at elections.

She said One Nation put a questionnaire out and also applied federal and state police checks and after screening candidates had said no to quite a few.

“Unless I feel that they are a good candidate I’m not going to put them up,” she said.

“I thought Rod Culleton was that man – but apparently he’s not a team plyer.

“He would make a very good Senator, if he could only take direction.

“But you know what I think it is - I don’t think he likes my authority.

“I start talking to him and then laying down some ground rules, and he says, ‘stop, stop - don’t go any further otherwise I’m out of here’.

“You can’t have a decent conversation with someone telling you ‘stop’ because they don’t want to hear these things.

“And he’s of the opinion that he won the seat on his name.”

Senator Hanson said she wished Senator Culleton would “just rein himself in and actually become a team player” like the party’s other two Senators Malcolm Roberts and Brian Burston.

She said her other team members were “really fantastic guys” but were also finding it hard to work with Senator Culleton.