Ettridge Nowhere In Sight
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday September 30, 1998
In an indication of tensions within the leadership of One Nation, the party's national director, Mr David Ettridge, was not invited to One Nation's election campaign launch yesterday.
Mr Ettridge was unaware of the launch in the Gatton Senior Citizens' Centre, in the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane, until told by the Herald two hours beforehand.
"Are they having a launch? I didn't even know that," he said.
"I'm so busy looking after the whole of Australia that I can't keep in touch with everything that's going on."
Reports of a rift between Ms Pauline Hanson and Mr Ettridge were fuelled recently when One Nation's Queensland branch established a trust fund separate from the party for donations.
The move was prompted by concern that donors had been deterred by reports about Mr Ettridge's former business dealings in Vanuatu and a 12.5 per cent commission he was receiving on money raised for the party.
Mr Ettridge said he would get about $43,000 this year from One Nation. "I could earn a lot more if I got just about any other job in Australia."
Mr Ettridge revealed that One Nation would spend about $400,000 on the campaign and would letterbox every household at least once, but little would be spent on advertising.
One Nation has raised an estimated $1 million in membership subscriptions and donations, but election candidates are paying between $4,000 and $30,000 each to fund their own campaigns.
Mr Ettridge said the party's money was being spent on administrative items such as wages, travel and telephone bills.
One Nation candidates in the Queensland election in June are still waiting to be reimbursed for their campaign costs after the party received $500,000 in State electoral funds almost a month ago.
© 1998 Sydney Morning Herald
