One Nation adds talent and professionalism

One Nation adds talent and professionalism. By Lachlan Leeming in The Australian.

Former NSW trade and investment commissioner Mike Newman is set to be unveiled as One Nation’s state leader … as the party prepares to launch its campaign to up-end the March election [in NSW]. …

The recruitment of Mr Newman is a boon for the party  … with his long professional history set to add a sophisticated edge to One Nation …

An online profile for Mr Newman states he is “a financial industry executive and consultant who worked in Japan for 25 years with large corporate firms, and, for the past three years has worked as the senior trade and investment commissioner, North Asia, at Investment NSW based in Tokyo”.

Although One Nation’s groundswell is largely due to its growing working-class supporter base, Mr Newman’s addition adds serious business acumen to the minor party’s ranks.

Mr Newman also worked as the head of sales for HSBC Securities in Japan, while from 2007 to 2015 he worked as the division director and country head of Macquarie Capital Securities Japan.

Mr Newman was appointed as NSW’s senior trade and investment commissioner to Japan and Korea by former deputy premier and trade minister John Barilaro in the previous Coalition government in 2021. He left the role shortly before it ceased to exist after the Minns government axed the positions in 2024.

Joanne and I know Mike, and think he’s a very capable man with the right goals. If One Nation can attract more experienced and high caliber people like Mike, Barnaby Joyce and Cory Bernardi, then it transforms from a protest party to an alternative government.

However, in the process, it must not lose sight of the ideas and people it represents. Unfortunately, Pauline Hanson seems to be doing this all on her own. Surely this apparent backflip on immigration is some sort of mistake? Nix:

Pauline at the Bush Summit today, explaining One Nation’s new immigration policy:

“So it’s more than 130,000?”

“Correct.”

The original 130,000 visa cap has become +130,000 NOM. NOM has apparently also been redefined to mean permanent residents with a pathway to citizenship, explaining Farley’s “true NOM”.

So: +130,000 net permanent migration, plus a “trust us” number of students, skilled, PALM, etc.

Uh oh. Perhaps we need an anti-immigration party.