Bus breaks down, but it doesn’t stop Hanson
THE wheels on Pauline Hanson’s ‘battler bus’ are going round and round again after the no-frills rental broke down on the Queensland election trail.
The One Nation leader was making her way from Rockhampton to Mackay yesterday morning when the engine started making an intense hissing noise.
A brief inspection at a petrol station yielded no answers but it had barely left the parking lot when the check-engine light came on.
The bus stopped on the side of the Bruce Highway near Marlborough before returning to the servo.
After waiting two hours for a mechanic, a blown turbo hose was found to be the culprit and it was promptly repaired.
“You think that’s going to stop me, I’m heading north,” Senator Hanson said.
“We all have our ups and downs and I can tell you I’ve had mine.”
During the breakdown, truck driver Shane Williams, who is couriering equipment for Australian musician Paul Kelly’s national tour, came to the federal senator’s aid.
Mr Williams, 45, crawled under the bus to check the engine but could not find an obvious fault. “I’m a big supporter,” Mr Williams said.
“I’m all for what she stands for. I think immigration is a big thing for everybody.”
Senator Hanson is making her way up the Queensland coast, targeting regional seats with the hope of claiming 11 or more seats on November 25.
She is due in Townsville today.