‘Excuse me’: Bizarre moment as Hanson interrupts new state leader
Pauline Hanson has interrupted her newly appointed state leader to ask him to speak English after he broke out into fluent Japanese during a press conference.
She announced investment banker Mike Newman as the One Nation NSW Leader and Cessnock candidate on Friday ahead of the state election in March.
Mike Newman (left) replies to a Japanese reporter in fluent Japanese. 9News
Newman, who had lived in Japan for 25 years, was asked a question by a Japanese reporter and replied fluently.
“A question from Japan, sorry,” he said before responding in Japanese.
“Excuse me, I think everyone else might want…,” Hanson said, interrupting to say that he should reply in English so everyone could understand what was being said.
“I’ll translate straight after,” Newman said.
“Oh sorry, I do apologise,” Hanson said.
Newman said the question was about Japanese businesses losing confidence due to the lack of predictability.
“What I’ve told her is that what One Nation will be doing is providing predictability, which is the one thing that Japanese investors crave,” he said.
Newman was asked whether he was aware of local issues due to the length of his time abroad and responded, saying he has been meeting with residents to learn more.
“I’m in the region, and to be honest, I’ve been living in Japan for the last 25 years. So, actually, I’ve probably been living in Japan longer than Sydney,” he said.
“The issues are: I’m meeting with the locals, I’m meeting with people, and talking about all these issues.
“I’m not working just for the seat of Cessnock. I’m working for the whole of New South Wales.”
Pauline Hanson interrupts Mike Newman. 9News
Hanson jumped in to his defence, saying Newman has kept his eye on politics in Australia from Japan.
“He’s right across the issues of New South Wales, regardless of the fact he’s been living in Japan for the last 25 years,” she said.
“Premier Minns. He’s really got a fight on his hands now.”
Stuart Bonds was also announced as One Nation’s upper house candidate.
In 2019, he was filmed saying, “the only thing worse than a gay person with power is a woman ... I don’t have a woman boss and I don’t have a gay boss, and there’s a reason for that”.
He later claimed his comments were a joke and taken out of context.
One Nation has declined to comment.
As One Nation announced its state party leader and candidate in the East, it is preparing for a crucial by-election in the West.
The populist party is challenging Labor and the Coalition for the Perth seat of Secret Harbour as voters take to the polls on Saturday.
When announcing the One Nation candidate for the seat in July, Hanson said she was unaware of gym owner Luke Herdegen’s past cocaine use and filming himself driving.
The WA Liberal Party has chosen to preference One Nation over Labor in that by-election.
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