The leader of One Nation in Queensland, Steve Dickson, has been forced to apologise over comments he made about the Safe Schools program in which he asserted that 10 year old girls were being taught, as part of the curriculum, how to masturbate and how to use strap-on dildos.

His apology was for using the word “dildos” rather than for telling outrageous lies.

He blamed a parent of a year four student for the erroneous information.

Because that’s what One Nation does.

Rather than actually finding out anything about the program from the people who developed the resources, or from the schools, teachers and students that have used them, or from the Department of Education on how they are used, PHON truth comes from “someone told me….”

Remember how, in the lead-up to the WA election, Pauline suggested vaccinations were linked to autism and that parents should have their children go through a non-existent test to evaluate vaccination safety.

After a barrage of outrage from medical bodies and others about this irresponsible and totally false information, Pauline apologised for being wrong….kinda.

‘Yes, I do apologise,’ she said. ‘As far as having tests done, OK, I admit I was wrong with that.’

‘All I’m saying to people that are concerned about it – you go and do your research, go ask questions of your doctor,’ she said.

Because someone told her…..

Malcolm Roberts has been replaced by Fraser Anning, another climate change denier.

On his now deactivated/hidden facebook page, Anning shared social media posts suggesting Barack Obama was secretly a Muslim and praising Russian President Vladimir Putin’s approach to “minorities” and Sharia law.

He also shared a cartoon with caption: “I was standing in a queue behind a very fat woman with a huge ar-e, when her phone starts to bleep. A little boy behind me says, “f––k me, she’s reversing”.

In a comical situation, Fraser Anning was kicked out of, or resigned from, Pauline’s party about an hour after being sworn in despite having been a loyal member for 20 years.

Anning said he was dragged into a meeting and berated like a schoolboy for not agreeing to step aside and for employing Malcolm Roberts’ staff, who Pauline banned from the meeting.

In what is becoming a frequent refrain from ex-One Nation candidates and officials, he blames James Ashby.

“I believe a lot of this is coming from James Ashby, who I think is the wrong person for her – or for anyone for that matter. I think there’s only one person James Ashby is interested in and that’s himself. She’s been manipulated before but I think this is the worst of all her advisers.  I guess he feels we’re some sort of threat to his ambitions.”

None of this is new for Pauline.

After the 1998 Queensland state election where 11 One Nation MPs were elected, within about 12 months they had all left the party – one quit, five created the City Country Alliance, four turned independent and the final MP created their own party of which they were the only member.

A vote for One Nation is a vote for a conglomeration of individuals who have personal beefs, very often based on misinformation and unwarranted fear, who focus more on ramping up anger than on thoughtful, evidence-based solutions.

It is a vote for James Ashby who seems to have survived countless scandals and who now makes all the decisions, making significant profit for himself along the way.  Pauline seems enthralled by him.

I understand Pauline’s appeal is based on the idea that she is not like other politicians, that she cares about the little people, that she tells the truth.

Politicians make the laws in this country.  They cannot be experts in everything they must deal with but they must be capable of seeking, understanding, and accepting expert advice.

“Someone told me” just doesn’t cut it.