Newly sworn-in Senator Fraser Anning has disputed Pauline Hanson’s claim that he "abandoned" One Nation and says he was kicked out of the party.
Senator Anning was sworn-in as a replacement for Malcolm Roberts after the Queensland senator was booted out by the High Court for failing to renounce his dual-citizenship with the UK.
The senator - who was only elected based on One Nation preferences – will serve the remainder of Mr Robert’s three-year term.
But on his first day in office, it was revealed Senator Anning would be parting ways with One Nation.
In the hours following the revelation, Mr Anning told The Guardian he learned about the split while watching TV.
"The next thing I knew, I saw on the TV that I had supposedly become an independent. This was news to me," he said.
"It seems without even contacting me, Pauline has unilaterally kicked me out of her party. I have to say that I'm stunned."
New Queensland Senator Fraser Anning, who replaces former One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts. Source: AAP
Senator Hanson was noticeably absent when Senator Anning was sworn in to replace Mr Roberts.
She later released a statement claiming previous employees of Mr Roberts had urged Senator Anning to move to Cory Bernadi's Australian Conservatives "should Mr Roberts lose his seat".
"Fraser Anning has abandoned the party to stand as an independent," Senator Hanson wrote in a statement on Facebook.
SBS News has approached Senator Anning for comment on the matter.
The One Nation leader also revealed she had been unable to contact Senator Anning until Monday when the Senate reconvened.
Senator Anning raised eyebrows when he was escorted into the chamber on Monday morning by Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm and Australian Conservative Cory Bernardi as two of his colleagues Brian Burston and Peter Georgiou sat watching.
An hour later, Senator Hanson released the media statement explaining why her party colleagues were not in the escort party.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson. Source: AAP
She said former staff to Mr Roberts had made contact with the Queensland-based business consultant several months ago, encouraging Senator Anning to move to the Australian Conservatives should Mr Roberts lose his seat.
At that time, Senator Anning had been asked to consider standing for the state election in the Queensland seat of Gladstone.
But Senator Hanson said he had dismissed the request on the grounds he and his wife were moving to the US to join their two daughters and grandchildren.
The One Nation leader then sought to speak to Senator Anning but could only contact his brother, Harry.
"I indicated to Harry Anning at the time, that given the work Malcolm Roberts had achieved ... it would be in the federal party's and Australia's best interest for Malcolm Roberts to be returned to the Senate," she said.
Senator Hanson refused four of Senator Anning's new staff access to a party room meeting on Monday morning because of what she described as their "disloyalty", which led to Senator Anning walking out of the meeting.
When Senator Hanson asked senators Burston and Georgiou to mediate with Senator Anning they were told he had decided to become an independent.
- with AAP
