Pauline Hanson Biography

Pauline Lee Hanson is an Australian politician and the leader of One Nation political party. She is well-known for her controversial views on racism, immigration and xenophobia. Her maiden speech to the House of Representatives, which gained wide attention, dealt with these issues. Later, another remark that brought her into the firing line was that Africans were bringing AIDS to Australia, a comment which forced her own party members to distance away from her. Born into a poor family, Pauline had a difficult childhood and she often ran away from home in search of a better life. This lifestyle saw her become a mother of two and divorced by the age of 21. Then she settled in Ipswich and ran a fish and chips shop for several years before shifting her focus to politics. She co-founded the One Nation party in 1997 with two other members, and was expelled from it in 2002 for more than one reason. She served as a Member of Parliament from Oxley from 1996 to 1998. After 1998, she contested in many State and Federal elections and lost by slim margins in all. In 2007, she launched Pauline's United Australia Party (PUAP), and returned as the leader of One Nation in 2014