Hoodwinked: How Pauline Hanson fooled a nation

by Kerry-Anne Walsh

Very few public figures can claim the level of fame, or infamy, that Pauline does. So much so, her surname isn't needed. Everyone knows her, or knows of her, and nearly everyone has a passionate viewpoint about her; she doesn't engender indifference.'

So who is Pauline Hanson, the woman and politician? Does she really stand for the battler, or has it only ever been about her personal pursuit for power and infamy? Has she duped her loyal supporters, who have kept her in the public eye and propelled her back into parliament because she 'speaks for them'? Pulling no punches, and with a finely developed sense of the absurd, Kerry-Anne Walsh's conclusion is an emphatic yes.

Through all the ups, the downs, the downs and the ups, Kerry-Anne probes and prods the evidence to uncover the many faces of Pauline Hanson: her time as an accidental local councillor, her emergence as a surprising national figure in 1996 and her resurrection in 2016, her careful profile-building through the media during the intervening years, the friends she's used and discarded, the men who control her, the money trail of her party and her personal finances. And then there's the rise and rise of the disaffected voters who now control political destinies, and the collapse of trust in the system that has allowed chancers such as Hanson to flourish.

Perceptive, surprising and revealing, get ready for Hoodwinked to take you on one wild ride.

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2018

Reviews

[Annie Booker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's highly unlikely this book will get many reviews in TV, radio or print as the author does a pretty good job of excoriating mainstream media. The one review I did see referred to the lack of objectivity and that's true - it's far from objective. Then again, the subject is hard to be objective about. Amazingly, she can out-Trump Trump, but fortunately without wielding any real power. Hanson's decision to take up with Svengali Oldfield could be put down to inexperience, but the installation of the current shoe scraping is unforgivable. Despite burning through many of her close supporters, it's hard to feel a sense of schadenfreude: people like Bruce Whiteside who put so much faith in Hanson - an ex-Kiwi who was desperate that foreigners not be afforded the same opportunities he had. If there is a criticism of the book, it's that it tends to get repetitive - almost as if the author is desperate to convince the reader of the book's purpose. A bit of a waste Kerry-Anne as her supporters are never likely to read it.

[Andrew L · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book with an insightful perspective, but severely let down by the lack of objectivity. This seriously detracts from its impact.

While there are many good and factual reasons why the author might want to be subjective, a better book would have more clearly focussed on the facts and let readers draw their own conclusions, instead of telling them what to think.

Which ironically, is one of the authors criticisms of the book's subject.

[Alan Williamson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Treats Hanson with the contempt she deserves — I hear the concerns about objectivity, but an objective assessment of such an obvious fraud and serial rorter would come off a tad shallow (much like Hanson’s policy portfolio).

A fairly depressing read, but it’s not particularly well-written. Walsh often tries too hard to wring out another sarcastic metaphor at the expense of clarity.

[Benjamin Farr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book needs to be read as an urgent wake-up call to anyone who has, does, or will vote One Nation.