Brian Burston

Brian Burston is an Australian politician who was a Senator for New South Wales from 2016 to 2019, originally representing One Nation.[1] After a falling out with party leader Pauline Hanson over company tax cuts, Burston left One Nation and joined businessman Clive Palmer's newly relaunched United Australia Party. Palmer announced Burston as the new parliamentary leader of the party on 18 June 2018.[2]

Brian Burston
Leader of the United Australia Party
in the Senate
In office
18 June 2018 (2018-06-18) – 30 June 2019 (2019-06-30)
LeaderClive Palmer
Preceded byGlenn Lazarus
Deputy Leader of Pauline Hanson's
One Nation
In office
4 October 2000 (2000-10-04) – 27 January 2002 (2002-01-27)
LeaderPauline Hanson
John Fischer
Preceded byDavid Oldfield
Succeeded byFrank Hough
Leader of Pauline Hanson's
One Nation in New South Wales
In office
31 March 2010 (2010-03-31) – 18 June 2018 (2018-06-18)
DeputyAndrew Webber
Samuel Kennard
Preceded byJudith Newson
Party Whip of Pauline Hanson's One Nation in the Senate
In office
30 August 2016 (2016-08-30) – 24 May 2018 (2018-05-24)
LeaderPauline Hanson
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byPeter Georgiou
Senator for New South Wales
In office
2 July 2016 (2016-07-02) – 30 June 2019 (2019-06-30)
Personal details
BornCessnock, New South Wales, Australia
Political partyUnited Australia (since 2018)
Other political
affiliations		One Nation New South Wales (2000–2004)
Pauline Hanson's United Australia (2007–2010)
One Nation (1997–2000; 2010–2018)
ResidenceCoal Point, New South Wales
EducationCessnock High School
Alma materHunter Institute of TAFE
Sydney Institute of TAFE
Sydney Teachers' College
OccupationBoilermaker
Draftsman
Politician

Early life

Burston was born and grew up in Cessnock in the Hunter Region of New South Wales. He started an apprenticeship as a boilermaker with BHP at age 15. He has taught at TAFE NSW, trained TAFE teachers at Newcastle University and worked as a contract draftsman. He was employed at the former Newcastle Teachers College.

He has been a councillor on Cessnock City Council. He married at age 22, had three children and later divorced. He married his second wife, a teacher named Rosie, in 2008. Their home overlooks Lake Macquarie.[3]

Burston became a member of Pauline Hanson's One Nation soon after its inception.[4] He is a former National Director of One Nation, serving alongside David Ettridge. In concert with the overthrow and imprisonment of Pauline Hanson, Burston left Pauline Hanson's One Nation and joined One Nation NSW, a splinter group of Pauline Hanson's One Nation, founded and led by David Oldfield. After Oldfield abandoned One Nation NSW, Burston rejoined Pauline Hanson's One Nation.

Senator (2016–2019)

After Burston was elected to the Senate at the 2016 federal election, he was elected as One Nation's party whip.[5]

In his maiden speech to parliament, Burston warned that large-scale immigration was undermining social cohesion, placing pressure on infrastructure and housing affordability and increasing crime in Australia.[6] He also criticised "aggressive multiculturalism", stating:

It seems that every group pride is promoted in the media and schools except for ours, the nation's. The ABC long ago abandoned any semblance of patriotism, or even balance. Other taxpayer-funded media – SBS and NITV – serve immigrants and indigenous Australians. The national flag is often ignored or dishonoured in schools, while multiculturalism and indigenous issues are now part of the curriculum. The majority of students are not supported in their Anglo-Australian identity, but are made to feel guilty for supposed historical injustices committed by their ancestors.

Burston is a public opponent of same sex marriage, and was one of twelve senators who voted against what became the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017.[7] In 2017, he was one of ten senators to vote in favour of Cory Bernardi's motion to ban gender-selective abortion. It was defeated by ten votes to 36.[8][9]

In May 2018, Burston announced he would support the Turnbull Government's proposed corporate tax cuts, a move that contradicts One Nation policy. He was soon demoted from the role of party whip,[10] and reportedly attempted to leave One Nation for the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party.[11][12] On 18 June 2018, he told the Senate he had resigned from One Nation to sit as an independent,[13] but later that day he announced that he would join Clive Palmer's United Australia Party, as party leader.[2][14] He became part of the economically-conservative voting bloc formed by crossbench Senators David Leyonhjelm, Cory Bernardi and Fraser Anning.[15]

In February 2019, Burston accused fellow Party Leader and Senator Pauline Hanson of sexual harassment in an incident which occurred in 1998.[16] Burston was defeated at the 2019 federal election.[17]

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References
  1. "Senate results – AEC tally room". Australian Electoral Commission. 4 August 2016. Archived from the original on 3 August 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  2. Gribbin, Caitlyn (18 June 2018). "Brian Burston joins Clive Palmer's United Australia Party as Senate leader". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  3. Murphy, Damien (6 August 2016). "Meet Brian Burston: One Nation's power behind the throne". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  4. "One Nation Candidates". Pauline Hanson's One Nation. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  5. "PARTY OFFICE HOLDERS : Pauline Hanson's One Nation". ParlInfo. 30 August 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  6. "First Speech". Parliament of Australia. 11 October 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  7. "Senate passes same-sex marriage bill". News.com.au. News Limited. 29 November 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  8. "Motions - Abortion - Gender grounds". They Vote For You. 16 November 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  9. "Cory Bernardi is using provocative motions to make ideological points in the Senate". ABC News. 16 November 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  10. Gribbin, Caitlyn (24 May 2018). "Former One Nation whip says he won't 'have a dummy spit' after being demoted by Pauline Hanson". ABC News. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  11. "Pauline Hanson fights tears on national television, claims One Nation senator Brian Burston has tried to defect". ABC News. 31 May 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  12. "Pauline Hanson to lose 'self-serving' senator after company tax row". Smh.com.au. 31 May 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  13. "One Nation senator Brian Burston quits party after prolonged feud with Pauline Hanson". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 14 June 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  14. Crowe, David (25 October 2019). "Democracy for sale: what did Clive Palmer get for his $50m-plus?". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  15. "The tax cut battle explained in less than two minutes". Sydney Morning Herald. 18 June 2018.
  16. "Brian Burston levels sexual harassment allegations at One Nation leader Pauline Hanson". ABC.net. 14 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  17. "Former Senator Brian Burston". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
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