Since the 1940s, the Labor and Liberal governments have dominated the political scene of Australia. However, Australia's parliamentary system has allowed minority parties and independent candidates to significantly impact government legislation. One such politician is Pauline Lee Hanson, arguably one of the most controversial politicians in Australian history. The rise of the Hanson phenomenon was made possible by the silent majority of Australians who were dissatisfied by the two-party system and in support of Hanson's populist policies, particularly immigration, Aboriginal issues and multiculturalism. Ultimately however, the support of the Hanson Phenomenon was destined to fall due to continual media scrutiny and poor policy choices. Through a chronological examination of a range of historical sources, the extent of Hanson's role in the development of One Nation is made clear.
To begin, Hanson's political path to Canberra attracted the interest of the media and the general public alike. Originally endorsed as a member of the Liberal Party, her comments made to the Queensland Times regarding the soft treatment and pandering by governments to the Aboriginal people, eventually led to her dis-endorsement. (The Queensland Times, 6 January 1996, p.14) By advocating that Aboriginals must be responsible for their own actions, Hanson began to gain small amounts of local support and media interest, so much so that she won the seat in the former Labor stronghold of Oxley with a swing of 19.3%. This was the single biggest swing in any of the 148 electorates and is testament to the spreading support Hanson acquired throughout much of Queensland and wider Australia. This victory marked the beginning of Hanson's political success and though radical in nature, her extreme policies gave voice to the silent majority of Australians too afraid to challenge the bureaucracy of the politically elite.
Specifically, the main reason for Hanson's support came from the dissatisfaction of mainstream Australians in regard to government policies of the time.
