Unity's kingpin to target One Nation
PAULINE Hanson watch out - Thang Ngo has One Nation in his sights. The Fairfield councillor was named this week as No 1 candidate on the Unity Party's senate ticket for this year's federal election. It represents the latest chapter in a meteoric rise for Cr Ngo, who was a political unknown until he stood for Unity Party in Fairfield for the 1999 State elections. He was elected to Fairfield Council in September of that year, and is currently seldom out of the news. Cr Ngo now works in NSW parliament house as adviser to Dr Peter Wong, Unity's sole Upper House MP. He is stunned at the resurgence of Ms Hanson, and said voters were registering a protest against the major parties. ``I'm convinced the majority of people who supported One Nation in Western Australia and Queensland are fair-minded, compassionate people who were registering a protest vote,'' he said. ``They do not necessarily agree with One Nation's racist, negative values.'' Unity says it is the only party tackling Ms Hanson head-on, and that the major parties are too scared to oppose One Nation strongly because they feared One Nation would direct preferences away from them. Despite its failure in the last federal election, Unity believes this campaign will be a success. The party has more than 2000 members, and will field candidates of Chinese, Arab, Vietnamese, Anglo-Celtic, Aboriginal and Jewish heritage in the federal election, which is due later this year. Fairfield Champion, 21 February 2001 |
