Hanson to stand trial on charges of poll fraud

A court in Brisbane has ordered the Australian right-winger Pauline Hanson to stand trial on electoral fraud charges with the co-founder of her One Nation party.

Michael Halliday, the magistrate, ruled yesterday that there was a strong enough case against Ms Hanson and David Ettridge for a trial on charges of dishonestly obtaining almost A$500,000 (£190,000) in election expenses funded by the taxpayer, and fraudulently registering One Nation in Queensland in 1997.

Ms Hanson, who resigned as head of One Nation in January after failing to win a Senate seat in November's general election, has described the charges as a witch-hunt designed to run her out of politics. She said the trial would give the Australian people "an opportunity to listen to the evidence".

She and Mr Ettridge, who face up to 10 years in jail if found guilty, have denied the charges. No date was set for the trial.

Ms Hanson rose to fame in 1996 after winning a federal parliament seat as an independent candidate known for her anti-immigration stance.

But in November's elections the party failed to win a single seat in Parliament's lower house and Ms Hanson lost her fight for a Senate seat. Analysts said Ms Hanson had been marginalised, as concerns over international security issues swung most of her supporters back to the Prime Minister, John Howard. (AP)