Australia's PM makes stand over Hanson

THE AUSTRALIAN government plans to step up its attack on the populist politician Pauline Hanson when parliament resumes today, in what will be her first appearance in the chamber since her party's stunning electoral debut.

"I think the gloves will definitely be off now," one backbencher said.

The anti-immigration, protectionist One Nation party won almost one-quarter of the vote in the Queensland state poll last weekend, a result that has stunned many Australians but has given her legitimacy as a political force.

Australia's embattled Prime Minister, John Howard, took a personal stand against the anti-immigration populist on Sunday as his conservative coalition struggled for survival. He announced that he would put Ms Hanson's One Nation party last on how-to-vote cards addressed to his own electorate, thus joining a growing number of conservatives who have decided to to give secondary votes to the opposition Labor party rather than One Nation.

Australian voters have to number candidates in order of preference, with those votes often used to decide who has won a seat if the primary vote is too close.

"Some of the policies of One Nation made people who form some minorities in our community feel a bit uneasy," Mr Howard said. "No party should behave in a way that makes any one section of the community feel unwelcome."

Opposition leader Kim Beazley also reaffirmed his party's decision to put One Nation last, despite a strong possibility that he could lose his own seat to a Hanson candidate.