Several readers want to read what Hanson said on her release. She gave a doorstop when she walked out of jail, then an exclusive live cross to the news with Channel Seven. Today she’s done Alan Jones on 2GB and a quick doorstop at the gate of her property outside Ipswich around midday. I haven’t got a transcript of that last one yet, but will try to track it down.
Here are the first three transcripts, in chronological order.
The transcript of my debate with David Oldfield on Lateline last night is at http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2003/s984063.htm.
1. Immediately on her release, an all-in door stop at the jail. Transcript by SMH assistant Ebony Bennett, from a tape recording of Channel Seven and ABC videotapes. Thanks to Tim Hunt, Seven press gallery cameraman and Simon, ABC chief of staff.
Pauline: Can I catch my breath?
It’s very important in my period of time I’ve been here I’ve had thousands of letters from the public that have supported me, not only in Australia , but as far away as Poland, Russia, New Zealand, England, America and Canada. I’ve learnt from this experience and I do think I’m a little bit wiser for it.
Journalist: What do you think you’ll do tonight?
Pauline: With family and friends.I’m going to hug my kids because I chose not to give them the hugs because of the strip searches, but that was my choice. And it was hard for my father last Thursday – not being able to give him a hug and that’s where I’m off to now, to see my very special man in my life, my father.
The message that I’d like to say is – I got caught up in the system that I saw fail me and I just, I am so concerned now for the other women behind the bars here – and men – that have also seen the system fail them and that’s my biggest concern. And I – my love and wishes to the girls that I’ve shared the last eleven weeks with and I’d like to say a big thank you to the prison staff who’ve done an excellent job and I would like to send an extra special thank you to Alan Jones and to Bronwyn Bishop for their support and not giving up on me, especially the people of Australia.
Journalist: Did you get a hard time in jail?
…
Pauline: The system let me down like it’s let a lot of people down. And there are other girls in there that the system has let down. And it’s only because of money, power and position that stops them from getting their freedom.
Journalist: Does this change your views about jail?
Pauline: Yes.
Journalist: In what way?
Pauline: I’ll leave it at that. I just want to say I’ve learnt from it and I’ll never get over the support that I’ve received from the Australian people and it’s just astounded me. And I’m so happy. Now please – I just want to go and see my father.
(She gets in the car, then notices Ettridge is out too. She gets out of the car and they embrace)
Ettridge: How are you? How skinny are you?
Pauline: We knew it didn’t we?
Ettridge: Yep. Isn’t it unbelievable?
Pauline: The truth. I said the truth will set us free.
Ettridge: The truth did set us free. Good on you. Look how skinny you are.
Pauline: I am not –
Ettridge: Obviously, you ate less food than I did. Good on you. Now I want somebody if you can to give me a ride to the airport so I can escape from Queensland please. (A journo offers him a ride)
Journalist: What’s it like to see Pauline again?
Ettridge: Lovely, on the outside, it’s wonderful. (To Pauline) We’ll talk soon.
Journalist: How would you some up your last eleven weeks in jail?
Ettridge: It’s been an interesting experience. I think I’m enriched as a result of having been in prison. I’ve seen another part of life that people talk about, but never experience. People who now want to give opinions on putting people in prison and how severe their sentences must be, have no idea of the effect that it has on a prisoner, their family , their friends, their assets their whole life. I’ve met people in here who are doing fourteen years, twenty years, fifteen years, it is incomprehensible to think what effect that has on a person.
Journalist: Where are you flying out to tonight?
Ettridge: I’m heading back to Sydney.
Journalist: To be with your family?
Ettridge: To be with my dog and with my family.
Journalist: Will you be seeking compensation?
Ettridge: Apparently there is no compensation possible under this system. Other prisoners are entitled apparently to something like $1200 a day for incarceration. I’m not entitled to anything. At this stage I’m just happy to be out.
***
2. Exclusive interview at the jail after the all-in with Network Seven, live cross to the news. Replayed on this morning’s Sunrise program. Transcript by Rehame.
PROGRAM: Sunrise
DATE: 7 November 2003
TIME: 7.41am
PRODUCER: Phil Sylvester
SUMMARY: Discussion on Pauline Hanson’s release from prison. Interview with Pauline Hanson, Former One Nation Leader.
MELISSA DOYLE – PRESENTER: Well, when Pauline Hanson walked free from jail last night she was keen to thank her supporters, thousands of Australians who’d been campaigning for her release.
DAVID KOCH – PRESENTER: And before heading off to be reunited with her family she got that message out by choosing Seven’s Peter Doherty to talk to. Here’s that interview.
PAULINE HANSON – FORMER ONE NATION LEADER: The support that I’ve received from the Australian who never gave up believing in me and trusting in me and that’s really what kept me going. I’ve received nearly four thousand letters and I think also I must give a special thank you to Alan Jones and Bronwyn Bishop because they really put themselves on the line for me (indistinct) believing.
REPORTER: What’s (indistinct) or how (indistinct)?
HANSON: It was fine. I was just one of the girls in there and that’s the way I wanted it. I didn’t expect to be treated any differently and I still had my day on the dishes (laughs) once a week and so everything was fine.
REPORTER: [inaudible question]
HANSON: Yes they did and a great big thank you to the prison staff and I’ve made some friends in there, some mates, and I’ll be keeping in touch with them. Hi (laughs). So, anyway, that’s to a special mate that’s in there.
REPORTER: What’s this done to your confidence in the legal system?
HANSON: I’ve seen a system that has failed me and my concern is how many other innocent women and (indistinct) men that are actually behind bars that shouldn’t be there. And I’m thinking seriously about this that I’d like to put out a call to retired solicitors, judges, legal people to give up their time to work with me to speak to these people who have been wrongly imprisoned because it’s got to a stage, it’s either you’ve got the money to pay for your freedom – because there’s a lot of girls in there that don’t have the legal help and I’ve tried to help as many as I could.
REPORTER: They’ve obviously touched you deeply.
HANSON: The whole thing has. I’ve learnt a lot from it. I was a person that had my opinion and, yes, I thought I knew everything as a member of parliament to go and look through the prisons. You know nothing and these politicians and bureaucrats that make the legislation have no idea. And yes it’s been a very daunting distressing time. I could never explain what it’s done to me but in so many ways I’ve learnt so much from it and I need just to learn from it.
REPORTER: You’ve taken this one day at a time. Thinking ahead, I know you’re not going to (indistinct) question, are you going to run again? What are you going to do?
HANSON: (Laughs) Look, at the moment that’s the furtherest [sic] thing from my mind and I’m actually keen to get my dad, if you’re there, I’m coming and I love you. And I love my sons, my daughter and my sister Judy who’s been out there. And I used to tell you all that I was the quiet one of the family and I think after you’ve seen my sister out there and a couple of the others you’ll know what I’ve been talking about. But it’s because of their devotion and the love for me and just that bonding and family ties that we have that, you know, they’ve gone on fighting for me and I’ve been so fortunate.
And to all the people of Australia and just everyone, thank you. I know it just doesn’t seem much to say but thanks.
REPORTER: What a day, eh?
HANSON: Yeah.
REPORTER: Thank you Pauline.
DOYLE: What a day, certainly. Pauline Hanson there talking to Seven’s Peter Doherty. Now, drop us an email on your opinion, what you think about what she’s been saying, seven.com.au/sunrise.
***
3. Interview with Alan Jones on Sydney Radio 2GB this morning. Transcript by Rehame.
STATION: Sydney 2GB
PROGRAM: Alan Jones
DATE: 7 November 2003
TIME: 7.16am
PRODUCER: Justin Kelly
SUMMARY: Discussion on Pauline Hanson’s time in prison and her the Queensland Court of Appeal ruling overturning the electoral fraud charges. Interviews with Pauline Hanson, former One Nation Leader; David Ettridge, One Nation Party.
ALAN JONES – PRESENTER: Pauline Hanson is on the line. Pauline, good morning.
PAULINE HANSON – FORMER ONE NATION LEADER: Good morning Alan.
JONES: Have you had a good night’s sleep?
HANSON: (Laughs) Well, I got to bed about three thirty your time.
JONES: (Laughs) Yes.
HANSON: I’ve been up for nearly the past hour or so. I haven’t had a lot of sleep and –
JONES: How’s your dad?
HANSON: Oh, he was very emotional and he’s great. It was good to see him. He needed to see me and I needed to see him and so it was wonderful.
JONES: I’ve got to tell you, your family were absolutely fantastic. Those boys and your daughter they’re class people the way they handled themselves through it all. I guess we’ might just give you a bit of music to settle you down for the morning. You’ve heard Adam. This is I Can’t Believe. I mean, he’s a musician and a singer and he wrote this. This is Pauline’s son.
[musical interlude – I Can’t Believe, Adam Hanson.]
JONES: And, of course, he says justice will be seen. Now what to say, innocence will convey you’re not guilty. The omens here were very clear. What is it she’s done. Innocence is now. Waiting to be cleared. When will you be home again? Well, all of that, of course, was answered fairly swiftly yesterday afternoon in about three minutes, wasn’t it?
HANSON: (Laughs) Yeah. It’s just I haven’t seen Adam yet. Adam flew down to –
JONES: Yeah, to the fundraiser here.
HANSON: Yes, and I spoke to Adam on the phone. He was very emotional and he’s very close.
JONES: Yeah, they’re good boys.
HANSON: He’s very, very close to me.
JONES: Yeah, he and Tony, they’re good boys.
HANSON: It hit Adam very, very hard and he’s going through a very hard time and his school is going through a hard time and he didn’t have that contact with me just to give me a phone call and just get mum’s advice and just get mum’s hug and it’s been so hard. I think it was the hardest part, seeing my kids go through it.
JONES: Sure. Once that verdict you were having lunch and they said get back to court because they’re going to hand down the judgment. So you’ve gone into the court room on that day and you heard what that woman Patsy Wolfe had to say, what was going through your mind?
HANSON: I was absolutely stunned. We were having lunch and we were so confident that the case we just put across such a great case. The prosecution just had no evidence, I couldn’t understand the whole lot.
JONES: Well, just for the benefit of my listeners again, Pauline, I’ll just say again that Mr Justice de Jersey said what everybody who knew anything about it said. Mr Justice de Jersey said yesterday the preponderance of the available evidence points to the conclusion that the applicants for membership became members of the political party Pauline Hanson’s One Nation or more probably of both that political party and the support movement.
The Crown cannot on this evidence safely sustain the position upon which the convictions depend. That is that the list comprises the names of persons who are not members of the political party but were members of the support movement only. It would be unsafe to allow the convictions to stand in these sentences. He could see that they were one in the same thing. These people knew they were joining Pauline Hanson’s party.
HANSON: They did Alan and in 1997 from October 1997 we passed that no one would be able to join the support movement any more. We were winding it up, it was started in late 1996 by Bruce Whiteside on the Gold Coast, so we were just appointed as president. And I was appointed president, David as the vice president of the organisation just as basically figureheads but we had we didn’t even run it. We didn’t even process memberships –
JONES: Quite.
HANSON: – at the office.
JONES: Don’t worry about that. Everyone knows that. Don’t worry about it. What do you say though today, because that day when you were sentenced the judge Patsy Wolfe said to you the crimes you committed affect the confidence of people in the electoral process. Called you a criminal from the dock.
HANSON: That hurt because I’ve always [becomes emotional] I’m sorry.
JONES: No, no, not at all, of course, it hurts. Of course it hurts. So where do you think now the system of justice stands? What do you do? You met people in jail –
HANSON: Alan –
JONES: – who are victims like you were.
HANSON: Alan, there’s a lady in there, she’s fifty-two. Her name’s Anne. Anyway I got to meet her three weeks ago. She came in there and she’s been given a life sentence for murder and she wasn’t even she wasn’t there at the murder scene and it’s been proven. But they’ve tried to tie her in that she’s actually saying that she had something to do with the organising. This lady attempted to take her life because she couldn’t handle the fact of given this charge [sic]. Anyway I’ve helped her to get legal help because she’s going through Legal Aid and the day before her she was given her legal representative, another one, two days before her appeal, and the day before I sat down with her for hours going through her submission to give her QC as much information as we possibly could and so now she’s waiting for a decision from that.
This lady shouldn’t be there and another nineteen year old girl, because there’s no funding, there’s no money and I got her to see Chris yesterday and I’ve (indistinct) her just to speak to Chris to get her out on bail. Because she hasn’t even been to a committal till May next year and she won’t go to trial till the year after that. And this is what I’m saying, there’s so many people in there that need help that shouldn’t be there. And I was the fortunate one to have your support, to have the public’s support because I was known. But there’s so many people that once they’re in there the door slams. The legal system, the Legal Aid, it’s useless.
JONES: Now, what about the just coming back to your you’re dead right, and that’s a battle for another day. But they also then told you that the five hundred thousand dollars in electoral funding you had to pay back because you’d fraudulently registered a party. What’s going to happen to that five hundred thousand dollars now? Someone owes your political party five hundred thousand dollars.
HANSON: Well, it wasn’t the political party that paid it Alan. It’s through the –
JONES: No, but I’m just saying the political party itself is owed the five hundred thousand it was paid back.
HANSON: That’s right, yes.
JONES: Then, of course, what our listeners need to understand is that you were charged also with dishonesty and inappropriately using seventeen thousand dollars for a fighting fund. That occupied the headlines all the way up to your trial. They then find you guilty and slap you in jail and suddenly and coincidentally the DPP withdraw those charges because they didn’t have any evidence.
HANSON: That’s correct. They knew that all the time.
JONES: Knew that all the time.
HANSON: And we were actually trying to get them to drop those before the trial.
JONES: But they allowed the headlines to run.
HANSON: And they wouldn’t do it and then since I was convicted and sentenced to jail on Wednesday, the following Monday well, it was another day or two after that, they told us they were going to drop the charges the following Monday.
JONES: Yet it was highly prejudicial to everything you were trying to do in Queensland. The allegations were aired throughout Queensland. The headlines were in the media and running every other day.
JONES: Pauline, the other thing is you then heard this thing read out, no parole, handcuffed, strip searched. You chose not to see your children face to face because that would have involved you in the humiliation of being strip searched.
HANSON: I went through it a couple of times to see my kids and I had to go through the strip search and it just it was just me, Alan. You know, the other girls put themselves through it. I just couldn’t. And I did it a couple of times and I said to my family I said I can’t do it, I just can’t do it. And they said mum, we understand. You do what makes you feel happy.
JONES: That’s it.
HANSON: So then I went through the con non-contact visits which was through a glass panel, four glass walls, enclosed, and just a glass panel that you look at –
JONES: Yes, that’s right.
HANSON: – look through.
JONES: Yes.
HANSON: And –
JONES: What’s the prevailing sentiment today because it’s hard, it’ll take you a while to work things out, is it relief or is it anger? And what about people who constantly tried to foster the argument that you were some awful woman guilty of frauding [sic] the system? You must feel angry that those people were constructively seeking to put you behind bars. They got you there.
HANSON: It’s been going on for years and I’ve got you know, there’s a big question mark over all this, everyone’s part in all this.
JONES: It’s not over yet, is it?
HANSON: Yeah, the people of Australia need to ask the questions. It’s not on just my behalf but for themselves. Because if you get and you question the major political parties, if you get up to have a different voice in this country you’re slammed and you’re shut down. And that was the whole that’s what they attempted to do right from the very beginning, Tony Abbott with his slush fund. And that’s why the litigation, for years I’ve been faced with charges the party has one time we had I had thirteen different legal battles on my hands and it was just draining the party’s finances but it kept me out of –
JONES: Just before just because you threatened the major political parties.
HANSON: And it took me out of, you know, politics and I just couldn’t concentrate on anything. People say I was naive and I was and I –
JONES: Just hang on and have a breather and I’ll come back to you because David Ettridge has just come onto the line. Just hang on, Pauline, and we’ll come back to you. David, good morning.
DAVID ETTRIDGE – FORMER ONE NATION MEMBER: Good morning, Alan.
JONES: How – you’ve got the plane out of Queensland.
ETTRIDGE: Yes, I did, got the last flight out last night.
JONES: And you won’t be going back.
ETTRIDGE: (Laughs) Only for a holiday one day in the future, I’m sure.
JONES: Your wife has done it very, very tough, hasn’t she?
ETTRIDGE: She has. This is the tragedy of anybody who gets sentenced to prison that your family, your children, your or everybody who knows you, even your pets, all suffer.
JONES: Mmm. You have been found by the Court of Criminal Appeal, and in particularly the Chief Justice of Queensland, to be comprehensively innocent, indeed to the extent it would be unsafe to allow these convictions to stand. Are there politicians out there today who should be concerned about your innocence?
ETTRIDGE: I think they should be and for the role that they played in bringing this situation about. They’re all hiding under beds around Australia, they know who they are and the roles they played.
JONES: And what will you be doing?
ETTRIDGE: What can we do, Alan? We rely on people like you to let the public know that this was an injustice and it was politically motivated. It was abuse of power.
JONES: Mr Justice de Jersey said that the DPP was so badly resourced and lacked appropriate legal expertise which if that hadn’t applied, this matter would never have even gone to trial.
ETTRIDGE: I don’t believe that. I think that the DPP relished in this conviction.
JONES: Yeah.
ETTRIDGE: They didn’t the day before the decision was handed down we knew that they believed they had lost as we believed they had lost. And they couldn’t believe their luck and neither could Patsy Wolfe believe her luck when they heard the jury say guilty and –
JONES: And yet Justice de Jersey suggested that Patsy Wolfe had misdirected the jury.
ETTRIDGE: Yes, that’s exactly what she did and I think she just couldn’t believe she’d been handed this guilty verdict. And between her and Brendan Campbell they just couldn’t wait, like sharks circling, to put us in prison for a term that was had no relationship whatsoever to the charges.
JONES: If you ran with Pauline politically, and I’ll come back to her and ask her the same question, Pauline’s listening, the public would want to speak in the only way that’s available to them, that’s in a political sense. They feel there’s nothing they can do other than to put their hands up and tick and vote. Would you consider re-entering the political environment to try to redress some of these wrongs?
ETTRIDGE: Well, I feel that there are a lot of wrongs taking place, and I wonder if there is any other way to bring them to account, except to let them know that the public of Australia aren’t stupid and they won’t fall for (indistinct)
JONES: They sure as hell aren’t. They sure as hell aren’t.
ETTRIDGE: And (indistinct)
JONES: Good luck to you and your wife.
ETTRIDGE: Good on you Pauline, too.
JONES: Yeah. She’s there somewhere.
ETTRIDGE: Yes.
HANSON: (Laughs)
JONES: Good on you, Pauline. So, he’s had a sleep, and you’ve had a sleep. Pauline, I’ve got you both there.
HANSON: Yeah?
JONES: Politically – I know it’s a silly question to ask a day later, but would you consider running for political office, giving the public perhaps the only opportunity that’s available to them to register their support for the fight against the kind of things you’re seeking to do battle against?
HANSON: It is a hard question, Alan. I just don’t know any more. It’s, like, I had another go at running for the seat in New South Wales, and every time I have run, I’ve just been pipped on the post with preferences. And when you had I had one woman that raised something to me in (indistinct) the shopping centre down in Miranda (indistinct), and she says, ‘Pauline, Pauline’ – she’s pushing a pram with a baby – twenty-eight. And she says, ‘Look, I didn’t vote for you, but I want to you know, hang in there’, she said, ‘and keep you know, doing a good job’, and I just looked at her, and I just shook my head.
JONES: Yeah.
HANSON: I didn’t vote for you, but keep going. And I thought –
JONES: Well, there are battlers. And you’re the principal (indistinct)
HANSON: – so what do I do?
JONES: Yeah. Well, you’ve handled yourself brilliantly. There’s a lot of battlers. Look, gather your breath and have a good rest and keep your chin up because the Court of Criminal Appeal have really done you proud.
HANSON: Alan, I just wanted to say personally to you to thank you very, very much –
JONES: Mmm.
HANSON: – for not giving up on myself or David.
JONES: Well, I believed you, Pauline.
HANSON: Yeah.
JONES: It’s as simple as that. You’re a good lady.
HANSON: And –
JONES: And you’ve got a good family, too, and so does David Ettridge.
HANSON: Mm hm.
JONES: You deserve better than this.
HANSON: Mm hm. And it’s so important to thank of thousands of kids that wrote to me.
JONES: Yeah.
HANSON: I never can thank their letters, their wishes, their love, their prayers –
JONES: No. They don’t want thanks.
HANSON: Kept me going.
JONES: They knew a wrong had been done, and it was the only way they could manifest their concern about it. You have a good weekend, and we’ll talk soon.
HANSON: Thanks, Alan. Bye.
JONES: And David, to you and your wife, all the best.
ETTRIDGE: Thank you Alan.
JONES: I hope the immediate future is better than the recent past.
ETTRIDGE: Thank you very much.
JONES: David Ettridge and Pauline Hanson.