ONE Nation is recruiting political candidates to run for Queensland’s next state election, expected to be held next year.
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The previous One Nation candidate for Mount Isa, Scott Sheard, said he wants to campaign again, but that the costs of running a basic campaign would likely prevent that from happening.
He said he would be prepared to change his mind with political donations from a wealthy cocky.
“Being up against (Rob) Katter makes it tough but not unbeatable,” Mr Sheard said.
“I would love to run because the government is out of control.”
He also attempted to become a Mount Isa City Councillor by campaigning in the next local government election.
A cheap campaign focusing on the city of Mount Isa, and nowhere else in the 570,502 square kilometre electorate, could cost $20,000, said Mr Sheard.
He estimated it would cost $50,000 to campaign elsewhere in the state electorate.
The size of the State seat of Mount Isa made it difficult to campaign in.
In 2015 Mr Sheard was among the five candidates campaigning to become the State Member for Mount Isa.
Mr Katter from the Katter’s Australian Party won with 46.77 per cent of the votes.
The LNP candidate, Richmond mayor John Wharton, secured 29.09 per cent. Next was the ALP candidate Simon Tayler, who was living in Mount Isa as a police officer at the time. He had 18.15 per cent. Mr Sheard had twice as many votes as the Greens candidate, Brisbane based Marcus Foth. The One Nation candidate had four per cent of the electorate’s vote in 2015.
Mr Sheard said the next state election could be “Trump like” with people voting for the “underdog”.
Pauline Hanson lost in her campaign for the state seat of Lockyer, losing out to LNP candidate Ian Rickuss by seven per cent of the vote.
But she had become a Queensland Senator following the results of last year’s federal election, Mr Sheard said. He anticipated One Nation would further benefit from the swing voters of disillusioned pensioners.