Qld: Pauline Hanson - the rise and fall

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Qld: Pauline Hanson - the rise and fall

Pauline Hanson's life in politics and in court.

1994

March - Hanson elected to Ipswich City Council after campaigning against a librarybeing built because it was a waste of ratepayer money.

1995

Aug - Joins the Liberal Party.

Nov - Endorsed as the candidate for the federal seat of Oxley in Queensland.

1996

Feb 14 - Dumped from the Liberals after her comments about Aborigines.

March 2 - Wins seat of Oxley as an independent with a massive swing of more than 23 per cent.

Sept 10 - Makes headlines with her maiden speech in parliament warning Australia isbeing "swamped by Asians".

1997

Feb 23 - Forms Pauline Hanson's One Nation with David Ettridge and David Oldfield.

March 18 - Pauline Hanson's One Nation registered as federal party with AustralianElectoral Commission.

April 11 - Pauline Hanson's One Nation party is launched.

December 4 - Hanson registers One Nation in Queensland with Ettridge.

1998

June 13 - One Nation wins 11 seats in the Queensland election - 23 per cent of Queenslandersvote for the party.

Oct 3 - Hanson loses the Queensland seat of Blair in the 1998 federal election. OneNation polls eight per cent of the vote and fails to secure a lower house seat. QueenslandOne Nation candidate Heather Hill wins a Senate seat.

Oct 4 - One Nation MP Charles Rappolt resigns from Queensland parliament, citing mediapressure, triggering a by-election in his north Queensland seat of Mulgrave. He laterkills himself.

Dec 1 - Sydney businessman Chuck Hong launches legal action against Senator-elect Hill'seligibility for election because of her apparent failure to renounce her British citizenship.

1999

Feb 5 - Three Queensland One Nation MPs quit the party after their demands were ignoredfor One Nation directors Pauline Hanson, David Ettridge and David Oldfield to step downto face democratic elections.

June 23 - High Court rules Hill is unable to take her seat in federal parliament becauseshe failed to renounce her British citizenship before the election. Len Harris eventuallygets the Senate seat.

Aug 19 - One Nation party is officially deregistered as a political party in Queensland.

The Queensland Electoral Commission (QEC) immediately promises to recover the $500,000in electoral funds paid to the party after the 1998 state election.

Dec 13 - Queensland One Nation parliamentary leader Bill Feldman announces he and fourof his colleagues have registered One Nation Queensland as a separate, state-based politicalparty.

Dec 22 - The five breakaway One Nation MPs announce they will call their new partyCity Country Alliance after legal threats over the name.

2000

Jan 15 - Ettridge quits the party's leadership to pursue business interests.

May 19 - One Nation is deregistered in NSW.

Oct 4 - Oldfield quits One Nation, 18 months after winning a NSW upper house seat for the party.

Dec 29 - Hanson's plans to settle her debt with the Queensland Electoral Commission(QEC) are foiled when she is locked out of its Brisbane city office, closed for the Christmasholidays. She later sends the outstanding amount electronically.

2001

Jan 23 - One Nation is reregistered in Queensland, allowing it to field candidatesin the looming state election.

Feb 10 - The party captures 9.6 per cent of votes in the Western Australian election.

Feb 17 - It wins three seats in the Queensland election.

July 31 - Hanson pleads not guilty to three charges of fraud in Brisbane Magistrates Court.

Nov 10 - One Nation's overall vote is halved in the federal election. The party failsto secure a seat in either house and Hanson loses her bid for a Queensland Senate seat.

2002

Jan 14 - Hanson quits as president of One Nation.

May 25 - In the middle of a committal hearing on electoral fraud charges, Hanson ischarged with dishonestly applying over $20,000 to herself from a fighting fund set upto pay back the electoral commission.

May 27 - Hanson is committed to stand trial with Ettridge for fraudulently registeringOne Nation in Queensland. They plead not guilty. Hanson also pleads not guilty to dishonestlyclaiming almost $500,000 in electoral reimbursements.

2003

March 22 - Hanson stands for the NSW upper house.

April 17 - After campaigning on law and order and admitting to having no idea who theNSW police commissioner was, Hanson is pipped by Shooters Party's John Tingle for thelast vacancy.

May 8 - Hanson is committed to stand trial over ripping off contributors to her fightingfund but maintains she did not take "one cent inappropriately".

July 15 - Hanson and Ettridge face four-week trial in Brisbane's District Court overfraudulently registering One Nation in Queensland.

Aug 20 - Hanson and Ettridge are found guilty on all charges.

AAP ap/sc/was

KEYWORD: HANSON TIMELINE