One Nation gets a free ride in Newcastle
By Stephen O'Brien
NEWCASTLE — With 77% of the vote in the November 21 Newcastle by-election counted, the ALP has 27,244 votes, (47.7%), One Nation 9577 (16.77%), Greens 5481 (9.6%) and the Democrats 4738 (8.3%). The Progressive Labour Party (PLP) polled 1057 votes (1.85%) and the Democratic Socialists 618 (1.08%).
With no Liberal candidate, the Newcastle media gave Pauline Hanson and the racist One Nation party a free ride in the days before the by-election. The Newcastle Herald ran a series of feature articles, according her "celebrity" status and affectionately referring to her as a "party girl".
Hanson came to town for a brief stay which included visits to shopping centres, restaurants, pubs, clubs and nightspots. She even visited bingo night at the labour movement citadel, the Newcastle Workers' Club.
The ALP candidate, Allan Morris, appealed for the support of Liberal voters, claiming that One Nation would get up to 40% of the vote. At least three of the 11 candidates (two right-wing independents and the far-right Citizens' Electoral Council) directed preferences to One Nation ahead of Morris.
Left candidates included Geoff Payne of the Democratic Socialists, Carrie Jacob of the Greens and Harry Williams of the PLP. The Greens and the Democratic Socialists gave each other their second preferences. The PLP gave its second preferences to Labor but was well down the ALP's preference list (number seven).
The PLP was number three on the Democratic Socialists' and Greens' tickets. Labor gave the Greens its second preference.