Brian Burston (NSW, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Sunday last, 4 February 2018, the SydneyMorning Herald published an article with the front-page headline 'One Nation senator and top Hanson strategist misled Parliament'. The article implied that I'd misled the Senate in my first speech in claiming that I had lectured in teacher education at Newcastle university. Here are the facts: In 1981, the coalition government led by Malcolm Fraser initiated the forced amalgamation of the Newcastle CAE and Newcastle university. I was seconded to lecture at the Newcastle campus in that year. The period of secondment was for two years. The secondment was later extended for a further two years—that is, four years in total.

The forced amalgamation caused a public outcry and was finally completed in 1989. During the transition, there were several changes in the position of head of department of technical and further education. The first acting head of department was Mr John Bailey, who was later considered to be underqualified to lead a university department and was replaced by Dr Jim Lergessner in that position in, or about, 1983. The department consisted of head of department, Dr Jim Lergessner, senior lecturer, Mr John Dugas, and seven other lecturers. I was one of those lecturers. Those lecturers included Mr John Bailey, Mr Gordon Conn, Mr Roy Killen, Mrs Anne McKee, Ms Kerrylee Mitchell and Mr Grenville Twist. We were classified as university lecturers and had the full use of all university facilities.

During 1983 and 1984, I also lectured at the University of New England in Armidale, to remote trainee teachers, in teacher education, in two-week blocks, with another lecturer, Mr Grenville Twist. So, not only did I lecture at Newcastle university; I also lectured at the University of New England in Armidale. I repeat from my first speech:

At age 15, I began a five-year apprenticeship with BHP to become a boilermaker, then trained with Australia Post to became a draftsman. In my time, I have taught engineering drawing at TAFE and lectured in teacher education at Newcastle University.

The article published in the Sydney Sun-Herald is hurtful and defamatory, and I have commenced legal action to remedy the damage to my reputation.