A CONTROVERSIAL Gawler real estate agent is planning to run for the seat of Light when Senator Pauline Hanson’s One Nation registers a state party in the 2022 election.
Hayley Marley-Duncan, who works for Marley-Duncan Real Estate on Adelaide Road, this week confirmed her intention to run for the local seat – held by Labor MP Tony Piccolo since 2006.
She said alleged “government corruption” had triggered her campaign.
“I lost my agent’s licence for six months because I stood up for a landlord…” Mrs Marley-Duncan told The Bunyip.
“They said I’d breached a code of conduct when I was just fighting for my landlord’s rights.
“I can’t fight laws and legislations as an agent because they would keep coming after me, so if I could get a seat, I could make changes for the better.”
Mrs Marley-Duncan gained notoriety after appearing on Channel 7’s Today Tonight in 2015.
She was fined $7500, banned from practising for six months and ordered to undertake anger management last year when she was found guilty in the District Court of “unprofessional, offensive and abusive” behaviour towards tenants, police, other real estate agents and public servants.
“People in high positions, if they take a disliking to your personality, they just come after you,” Mrs Marley-Duncan said.
“I’m very direct and brutally honest, which people apparently don’t like, and I think that’s the way the world is going. It’s getting too ridiculous that people can’t have an opinion and you can’t say anything without people getting offended.
“I want to make a change and we need One Nation. (Ms Hanson) is the only one looking after Australians.”
Adelaide-based 2019 One Nation senate candidate Jennifer Game confirmed the party was looking to register as a state party.
“To do that we need 200 perfectly filled-in declaration forms done by members to the Electoral Commission, and we are not very far from that number now,” she said.
“Hayley is very interested in becoming a candidate and I said to her we don’t have a party registered yet, and haven’t gone through the processes, but I invite her application.
“I know Hayley is fairly forthright and passionate about things she is interested in and that she uses colourful language sometimes.
“We were planning a visit to Gawler on Friday, May 1, to see Hayley and other members before COVID-19 cancelled our travel plans.
“Who knows when these restrictions will be lifted, but whether Pauline will be back to meet members and celebrate the registration of the party, or be back to help get the last few declarations that we need from members to get us over the line, we will return (to Gawler).
“We are planning to submit all our paperwork this year, so that we are comfortably registered by early next year, and then we will be in a position to go to the State Election on March 19, 2022, which seems like a long way away, but is coming up quickly.”
Ms Game said a South Australian One Nation party would give “complacent members” a run for their money.
Member for Light Tony Piccolo said he failed to believe he had ever taken the Gawler community for granted.
“If people believe I have been a good advocate for the local community then I would welcome their support,” he said.
“If they believe I haven’t, or someone else could do better, then they have a duty to vote for someone else. It is that simple.”
Mr Piccolo said every citizen over the age of 18 had a right to represent their community and seek election to parliament.
“As to whether Ms Duncan is a worthy candidate that is a decision for the people of Light to make, and certainly not one for me to make a judgement about,” he said.
“Like many other people in the community, I have been on the receiving end of Ms Duncan’s personal style of communication.
“It is not the way I would treat people, but some people might like that.
“As a local member of parliament you have to deal with a wide range of people and views on a daily basis, often honestly held views, but nevertheless conflicting with those of others. You have to be respectful of all people and their views, even those you disagree with.
“Every person has their life story, and it’s not for me, or any local member of parliament, to sit in judgement.
“We are here to serve.”
We are One-Nation
ONE Nation’s plans to form a South Australian party will give locals “an opportunity to vote for different people who may represent them better”, according to Senator Pauline Hanson’s media advisor and previous senate candidate Jennifer Game.
While the party is yet to register a South Australian faction, Ms Game said its polices may incorporate its federal ambitions.
“We don’t have our policies set yet, but the party federally wants to have a coal-fired power station in every state,” she said.
“SA needs to have substantially lower electricity prices, because not only are we not globally competitive, we are not even competitive in Australia.
“We also want to see something done about providing much more water from the Murray River to South Australians and our view is that a Lock Zero should be built.
“We are aware of a shortage of water in the Barossa and people could do more planting if they had more water, so water is a bigger item for us.”
Ms Game said employment would also be on One Nation’s state policy radar.
“We need good-quality jobs here if we are going to deal with the high levels of poverty in SA, particularly outside the metropolitan area,” she said.
“We may also look at rail now the grain rail is gone, but it’s only early days on forming our policies.”
Ms Game and Ms Hanson hope to visit the Gawler region once COVID-19 travel restrictions have been lifted.