The perils of pillorying Pauline

On the other hand the leaders of the main political parties assure us (especially after elections) that they are listening to the people and will learn. But are they? They seem only to listen to paid advisers, lobbyists, sectional interests and those who can pay to sit with them at fund raising dinners.

It is never easy, of course, to read the collective 'electoral mind'. But when concerns in the community are blurted out loud by a gauche and artless Pauline it is unwise to dismiss all such issues along with the wildly audacious and irrational claims that may be made for those issues.

The right to free speech brings with it the right to be heard and, in present circumstances, also the obligation to be taken seriously, at least in respect of those matters of rational concern. And there are some such genuine concerns to be found among the immoderate policy claims of Ms Hanson and One Nation.

The acquisition of Australian farms, businesses and infrastructure by foreign interests, particularly by sovereign funds; the lack of discernment between foreign investment that brings with it new capital, creates new business and more jobs and the acquisition of established enterprises with profits going overseas; the significant loss to national income from welfare cheating, tax evasion and visa abuse; the left-to-chance multicultural policies that allow some residents to disregard Australian values and social norms which cause community unrest and security problems. These are all issues of concern, among others, genuinely-held by many Australians.

The last thing Australia needs is a dissident political movement akin to the French National Front. The party that was established in 1972 by Jean-Marie Le Pen, who brought together a number of nationalist movements with policies of zero tolerance on many critical issues, particularly in respect of immigration and multiculturalism. Under the leadership of his daughter, Marine Le Pen, its popularity has continued to grow with success in municipal and regional elections of up to 28 percent of the votes.

One Nation is not new. It has been around before. The fact it is being given a second chance should be ominous for the major parties. By comparison with the stringent policies of the countries in our region, too many people see Australia as the "soft touch" of Asia.

Some of Pauline's policies, rather than her representation of them, really do need to be taken seriously.