The BNP gains a voter UPDATE

Australia has woken up this morning to the news that one of its anti-immigration advocates has decided to, er, emigrate.  Pauline Hansen has chosen the path of least media resistance and disowned her people - well, Queenslanders living in Oxley, anyway.  It appears Australia has failed in not embracing the Oxley-moron's controversial views on race, her naked photo shoots, her failed attempts to incite paranoia over her non-disappearance, and the lack of interest in her autobiography "Untamed and Unashamed".

ANTI-immigration mouthpiece Pauline Hanson is packing up her bags and emigrating.  She is departing for a new life in the UK, claiming that Australia is no longer the land of opportunity. The former One Nation leader has told Woman's Day magazine she is selling her Queensland home.

"I'm going to be away indefinitely," Ms Hanson said.

"It's pretty much goodbye forever. I've really had enough. I want peace in my life. I want contentment, and that's what I'm aiming for.

"I will miss my children and close friends most of all."

The mother of four - who in 1996 made world headlines when as a new federal MP she blasted multiculturalism in her maiden Parliamentary speech - told the magazine Australia had changed too much for her liking.

"Sadly, 'the land of opportunity' is no more applicable," she said.

She acknowledged her Parliamentary days were behind her, having failed in her latest bid to enter the Queensland Parliament, in March last year. "I know I will never be given a chance to enter Parliament again," she said.

The former fish-and-chip shop owner rose to national prominence 14 years ago when she won the federal seat of Oxley in Queensland. Originally endorsed as the Liberal candidate for the seat, she was cut loose by the party because of her controversial views on race.

In 1997 she formed the One Nation party with David Ettridge and David Oldfield.

Ms Hanson lost the seat at the 1998 election and then tried a further four times to be elected to Parliament. While she became an independent, her former party collapsed and is now a shadow of what it was when she was at the helm.

The alarming rising success of the BNP aside, I'm intrigued that she has chosen the UK as her choice of country to escape to from Australia.  If she has the right to emigrate to the UK, then of course that's fine, assuming her criminal record and time in jail won't be an issue.  But for someone so opposed to a multicultural society, I have some doubts that the UK is the best choice.

Having said that, I'm not succeeding in suggesting an alternative country for her to consider.  Partly because I can't think of any country that has a population of entirely white Australians, and also because I can't think of any country that I think deserves to be inflicted with her.  China is a largely homogeneous society, but the problem with China for Pauline Hansen is that there are too many Chinese people living there.  India, too, is largely homogeneous, but she may have some trouble acclimatising there, as well.  Zimbabwe has embraced policies that she may be proud of, but in the wrong order.

Pauline, perhaps, in time, you will realise that Oxley, Oueensland, is the ideal place for you, but, while I have nothing against the UK (in fact, I feel a little sorry for the UK right now), I do hope that you are happier in another country and that you stay there.  Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

UPDATE: I am contemplating adding "psychic" to my CV.....