1st April 2000
"We either seize the moment or lose it." That was the warning I sounded at the inaugural meeting of the Pauline Hanson Support Movement way back in October 1996.
We lost it.
If ever the reality of what has happened was needed to finally impress upon me that Pauline Hanson is finished, then a protracted and often heated discussion last night brought the message home. Ironically it was my own reaction to the request made of me that finally slammed the door on Pauline Hanson.
One man who was equally supportive and actively involved in promoting Pauline Hanson was South Australian George Merritt. George Merritt is not a gutless Australian, but a 'Pom,'…just as Scott Balson is not a gutless Australian, but a Springbok and just as I'm not a gutless Australian but a 'bloody Kiwi. Three people who used initiative and got out there to actively raise the profile of Hanson. The rest as far as I'm concerned were lemmings and carpetbaggers and if that upsets the sensitivities of some of Sydney's armchair critics, well stiff cheese.
George Merritt set out with almost parallel views and aims as myself. Unbeknown to each of us, both set out to create a people support base for Hanson. But a strange thing happened. John Pasquarelli called on me, gleaned all the information he could then hotfooted it over to Western Australia. En-route he called on George Merritt. Merritt told him what he was preposing and Pasquarelli told him not to go ahead with the idea. When an old friend Dr Joseph Wayne-Smith rang me to sound me out on Hanson, he was surprised that I had already established a Support Movement. He told me that a similar move was afoot in South Australia and would I mind if he approached the convenor with a view to joining forces. It was a George Merritt who rang. During the course of that conversation he asked me had I heard of a fellow by the name of Pasquarelli. I said yes and that he had called on me a few days earlier. Merritt, always perceptive smelled trouble. He told me that Pasquarelli, had never mentioned our meeting.
Merritt's movement came under our banner, but was the only branch that retained it's own autonomy. Merritt did a fine job, until he crossed paths with David Ettridge. It was Ettridge who plundered the profits from Merritt's work in putting together Pauline Hanson The Truth.
Con-man Ettridge exploited and defiled this elderly man in no less a vile manner than myself. Ettridge threatened to destroy him and had the effrontery to call the police in, when George set out to reprint his own publication.
But George like myself never gave up on Hanson, even if she treated both of us with utter contempt.
Last night he rang me, urging, pleading and fervently appealing for my help. He sees me as the last hope to speak with Pauline Hanson. "Would I bury my pride and agree to speak with her." "No George …absolutely not."
"Oh come on Bruce …for me."
"I wouldn't waste my time George, she is simply too arrogant and up. She still sees herself as the new Messiah. She believes along with Marsden that they have the answers.'
"Bruce, we cannot afford to let her go, you know that.'
'Agreed, but its too late. Had she dumped the two David's and shown a modicum of humility, she would surged ahead, but she won't.'
"Well, if you won't do it for her, or for me, do it for Australia."
"Bugger Australia.' I exploded.
"You can't say that. This country is as much yours as it is mine and furthermore you've fought for it in too very public campaigns. You have to speak with her.'
"George, I owe this country nothing. I'm not here by choice and never have been, but unlike the seething masses of apathetic Australians, I have at least shown that I believe this country is worth fighting for. WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT AUSTRALIANS?"
"You're bitter and I can't blame you for that, but will you speak with her."
"No George."
"For Hanson to speak with me, she has to want to. She will do so when she has no where else to go."
"Would you help her then?'
"I don't know?'
"You know that you are the only one who can get her off the hook, you know that they will prevent her from ever running again for the Senate. You have to do something. Please ring her."
"George WE know that, but she doesn't. She knows that I have warned her time and time again, to no avail. Why would I want to even try to extricate Hanson, even if I could? The truth is that the people who followed her like lemmings deserve her."
The law will now follow its course. Hanson will find that all the fine platitudes and false utterances that have lacked in sincerity and integrity, will now work against her.
I predict that the three will find it extremely difficult to avoid gaol sentences.
Once the final curtain has fallen on the three, the matter will die a natural death …and the real brains behind the One Nation saga, will go unscathed.
The system, rotten to the core, protects it's own.
For those who would challenge that statement, let the Federal Government call a Commission of Inquiry. It is my guess that they have too much to lose.