I
had heard about the New Farm breakfast a week before from Vanessa Stuart,
the head of One Nation's Young Nation, (arrowed in the big
picture on the link right) and quickly signed on.
Commentary by Scott Balson, Global Web Builders
For those who are fortunate to know Pauline Hanson well you know that nothing in life cannot be faced.
Her characteristics are starting to rub off on her growing number of supporters, so when, at the last moment Rosati's (an Italian Restaurant at New Farm east of inner Brisbane) cancelled the One Nation breakfast at the last moment the members were quick to come up with a solution.
Rosati's by the way is owned by the Gamboli (something like that) family who are apparently closely related to a Liberal candidate and the late cancellation had everything to do with politics and nothing to do with anything else.... and they are still hoping for One Nation preferences at the state election!
I
had heard about the New Farm breakfast a week before from Vanessa Stuart,
the head of One Nation's Young Nation, (arrowed in the big
picture on the link right) and quickly signed on.
The breakfast was to be something of a double celebration with more and more of Australia's youth joining Young Nation and the announcement of two more candidates for the Queensland State elections.
Luckily One Nation has a large number of secret supporters and within hours an alternative venue had been arranged at the restaurant in the New Farm park on the Brisbane river just 100 metres away.
I arrived at the venue, in a large tent, shortly after 9am and met up with a large number of old faces... the President of the State committee, Tom King, seen below (in pink shirt) with other committee members and a general view of part of the breakfast gathering.
While
waiting for Pauline Hanson to arrive I noticed an unwanted paparazzi taking
photographs of the guests from behind the fence near the tent.
It was time to respond, so for the record, here he is ringed in the link on the big pic behind the fellow in the foreground. He dropped his camera and picked up his baby when he saw me taking snaps of him - so I though I would make it a family pick for the records... after all One Nation is all about keeping the Australian family together. He departed shortly after this picture was taken.
Pauline
was a few minutes later than expected arriving at about 9.45am - by which
time we were all
famished!
As usual she looked perfect.... as you can see for yourself on the right.
Instead of sitting at the "main" table which would have set her apart from the guests she sat down next to Richard Duffel at one of the guest tables and joined in with the conversation. Pauline the champion of "people power".
The police and the feds were there as well, they looked relaxed and, as there
was not a protester to be seen, we all
enjoyed
ourselves immensely.
As you can see on the right Pauline was there to have fun as well.
The function, as I said earlier was a joint celebration. The joint-organiser from the Brisbane branch of One Nation, introduced two new One Nation state candidates while breakfast was being eaten.
The
two new Brisbane based candidates, Ray Myers (South Brisbane) and John Beattie
(Brisbane Central) gave two minute presentations before the main event...
There was a surprise follow up by Sam Toratori, commonly called the "Mayor of New Farm" who was at the function with his family.
He
said that he was so disgusted at the treatment handed out by the owners of
the Rosati restaurant that he wanted to put his hat in the ring for the Federal
seat of Brisbane. Sam, (seen right) is Italian by birth, is a very emotional
fellow who has tremendous credibility in the area.
Pauline listened intently to the speeches.
There was loud applause from the hundred or so guests who had gathered to hear Pauline Hanson speak when she was called forward.
One thing about Pauline when she is away from the glare of the television cameras and the fingering journalists she is very down to earth, talks without notes and speaks from the heart.
I have seen her do this on many occasions now. Perhaps the most inspirational, because of the predicament, was the Hervey Bay visit last year at which Pauline had to face a few dissenting members in a public forum.
Pauline
spoke about the
state policies
that had been released. She spoke affectionately about the Federal
police who accompany her all around the country because of death threats.
(By the way you will never see the feds on these pages as it is not in
their interests to be identified).
She
then revealed that Pro Hart, the famous Australian painter, and strong
supporter of Pauline Hanson's
One Nation had given the party two paintings. She presented one to
the state electoral committee for a raffle.
Raffle tickets for the painting may be bought by contacting Tom King on Phone: (07) 3204 2933 or (07) 3204 2955.
After her talk there was the usual procession of people wanting books autographed and to be photographed.
Here is a selection of the images taken... on request by guests!
Just before leaving I was "cornered" by Vanessa Stuart and took some photographs of Pauline Hanson with some of the Young Nation members who had come to the function.
It was time to leave and return back to the global office. Another glorious weekend highlighted by Australia's best known politician, Pauline, the gorgeous Hanson phenomenon.