One Nation members ‘attempting to oust Pauline Hanson and James Ashby’

Members of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation are allegedly fundraising in a bid to oust the Queensland Senator from her role as party leader, along with booting her long-time adviser James Ashby from the party altogether, as a GoFundMe page has been launched online.

According to the Courier Mail, the crowdfunding effort was set up by former PHON member Sandy Turner and calls for Senator Hanson to focus on her responsibilities as an elected member of the Upper House, rather than the day-to-day running of the party.

“The One Nation Executive is headed by Pauline Hanson, who has made herself President for Life, and Pauline’s advisor is James Ashby, who is also a member of One Nation,” the GoFundMe page reads. “Pauline Hanson is a Queensland Senator, which is more than a full-time job. There are many party members who are of the opinion that Pauline needs to concentrate on her Senate work and leave other capable people to manage the executive and finances of One Nation.”

Turner is aiming to attract donations of up to $15,000 to purchase tickets for One Nation members to attend the party’s annual general meeting on October 19, with Turner slamming the “exorbitant attendance fee” of $150 a ticket and $100 for pensioners. They also claim that many members have not been invited to the AGM.

The post goes on to say that Hanson has not had enough time to sufficiently manage the political party, adding that many members believe she has “trusted and let the wrong people in to manage the party”.

The post also details two motions that the discontented party members would like to raise at the AGM, should they raise enough to attend, with the first revolving around Chief of Staff James Ashby, who has made headlines on several occasions so far this year.

The first motion reads: “To expel James Ashby from One Nation (Pauline Hanson’s One Nation), and all divisions, for life. The reason being for bringing One Nation into disrepute due to his actions over the past few years. i.e. the American trip to the National Rifle Association with Steve Dickson (Senate Candidate), the scuffle and fight with former One Nation Senator Brian Burston in Parliament House last year, the One Nation aeroplane saga and investigations that came with it and for other headlines that have hit the media.”

However the second motion focuses on the party founder herself, with members expressing their desire to remove her from her current position as President for Life of One Nation which they claim would help to restore democracy to the party.

“The reason being that One Nation should be democratic and members should be able to nominate for executive positions within the party,” the post states. “This is also for the better management of the party, which will in the future minimise any litigation that the party may encounter, due to any poor decisions. One Nation has been subjected to this in the past, with Pauline Hanson even being put in jail.”

So far just four people have donated to the cause with the current total sitting at $240 – a long way from the $15k goal.

The GoFundMe page refers to a high-profile incident earlier this year involving Ashby and former One Nation Queensland leader Steve Dickson, after Al-Jazeera aired secret camera footage of the pair appearing to lobby the NRA for cash donations in their documentary How to Sell a Massacre.

Following the airing of the documentary, which also revealed Dickson behaving inappropriately towards women in a US strip club, Dickson resigned from all positions within the party, however Hanson stood by James Ashby, saying in a press conference at the time: ““There has been a deliberate and intense effort for years to destroy James Ashby’s credibility since he came to work for me.

“He has made some stupid remarks, as we all have, but I’ve worked so closely with this man for years, to know his integrity is unquestionable, he will not be given a trial by media.”

Neither Hanson nor Ashby have yet responded to the reports or addressed the GoFundMe page, which is visible to the public.