[Peetwo]

Dick backs Pauline - "Match made in heaven"


Courtesy the Daily Telegraph... :

Dick Smith will advise Pauline Hanson as she plans an assault on Western Sydney
[img=0x0]http://pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/component/article/b73c297b8b3e4624a811bc261a52a788?esi=true&t_template=s3/chronicle-tg_tlc_storyheader/index&t_product=DailyTelegraph&td_device=desktop[/img]EXCLUSIVE: Shari Markson, National Political Editor, The Daily Telegraph
December 6, 2016 12:00am

MILLIONAIRE patriot Dick Smith is backing Pauline Hanson’s tough immigration stance and offering to advise One Nation as the party plans an assault on Western Sydney at the next state and federal elections.

The buy-Australian campaigner will meet with Ms Hanson before Christmas to advise her on policy, predicting she will ride a wave of Trump-like support in traditionally conservative areas such as Sydney’s north shore.

Ms Hanson told The Daily Telegraph she will launch a major campaign in Western Sydney, running One Nation candidates in the next NSW state and federal elections.



It is a move that will petrify both Malcolm Turnbull’s government and the Labor Party.
Mr Smith, an opinionated former Australian of the Year, had an initial conversation with Ms Hanson last week, drawn to speak with her after his friends, long-term Liberal and Labor voters, had embraced One Nation.

“I support her policy on Julian Assange. I support her immigration policy. She says she’s going to have a policy to help general aviation. I’ll certainly support that,” Mr Smith said.

“I agree with her views on immigration numbers, that is about 70,000 a year, not 200,000. But I do not agree with her views on Muslim immigration,” he said.

The retailer is so passionate about curbing Australia’s immigration intake he is planning to pay for an advert protesting Lucy Turnbull’s growth predictions for Sydney. He also authored a book in 2011 titled “Dick Smith’s Population Crisis”.

“I noticed that Pauline’s is about the only political party that has a policy on not having perpetual population growth,” Mr Smith said.

Dick Smith’s move to support Pauline Hanson will petrify both Malcolm Turnbull’s government and the Labor Party.

“That means we’ll end up stabilising our population so young people will be able to afford houses.” Mr Smith has also offered to help Ms Hanson with her aviation policy.

He said he would help her cement the support of tens of thousands of voters who work in the industry.

“Myself and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association will come up with what needs to be done and I will give her some suggestions,” he said.

“I think she would get tens of thousands of votes from the aviation community because they have been let down by the ALP and Liberals.”

Ms Hanson will target seats across Sydney where, she argues, voters are disillusioned with the major parties and want change.

Mr Smith said he did not agree with Ms Hanson’s position on stopping Muslim immigration, and during their phone conversation asked her some tough questions.

“We will definitely be standing candidates in the next NSW state elections and federally, yes,” Ms Hanson told The Daily Telegraph.

“People are just really fed up with the major parties and screaming out for change.

“I think there’s a move on across the country for One Nation,” she said. “People know I care about the country and the people are sick of career politicians.”

The electronics retailer, once worth $50 million, said he had never donated to a political party and ruled out ­financially backing One Nation.

Traditionally a conservative voter, except during Bob Hawke’s tenure as prime minister, Mr Smith said he may stand for federal Parliament as an independent at the next federal election.

He said his three main platforms would be stopping Australia’s ballooning population, ensuring young Australians can buy their own home and curbing debt.

“So many of my friends who normally voted Coalition reckon they are going to vote for Pauline Hanson,” Dick Smith says.

Mr Smith threatened to run against former Howard government minister Bronwyn Bishop in the last federal election in the NSW seat of Mackellar if the Liberal politician did not retire.

Mr Smith said the support for Ms Hanson all across NSW was palpable — even in the traditionally blue-ribbon north shore area.

“So many of my friends who normally voted Coalition reckon they are going to vote for Pauline Hanson,” he said. “You only have to look at what happened in America with Trump. “People are so disillusioned with our present party politics. Our politicians don’t tell the truth. They’re all actors.”

Mr Smith, an opinionated former Australian of the Year, had an initial conversation with Ms Hanson last week.

“While I wouldn’t say I agreed with all of her policies, I am starting to see why she’s going have incredible support and how completely disappointed people are with the two major parties.” Mr Smith said he did not agree with Ms Hanson’s position on stopping Muslim immigration, and during their phone conversation asked her some tough questions.

“People tend to say that she’s racist. So I asked her, does she think that she’s superior to other races? She said no,” he said.

MTF...P2