The Quiet Hanson: Why Lee Sherrard Might Just Save One Nation (and Why She Might Not)
Everyone across the nation is bracing for the next explosion from the red-haired firecracker in the Senate. But the real story in the Hanson family isn’t Pauline right now.
It’s her daughter, the one who has spent the last twenty-five years saying “no” to politics, and who might - just might - be the only person capable of dragging One Nation out of the wilderness and into government.
Her name is Lee Sherrard (campaigning as Lee Hanson), and she is calm, corporate-polished, scandal-free, and, most importantly, a mum who still tucks her kids in most nights in Hobart.
At 41, Lee has already done what no amount of burka stunts, Sky News hits, or Ashby leaks ever could: she has made One Nation look… well, very mainstream and normal.
The Lee Hanson Background
Lee Hanson, née Sherrard, is the daughter of Pauline Hanson, but she could not be more different from her mother. A long-time Tasmanian resident, married, and the mother of two, Lee has spent over 20 years building a career far from the political spotlight. She has held senior leadership roles across higher education, water and sewerage, tourism, banking, and government business enterprises - most notably at Hydro Tasmania and the University of Tasmania.
Unlike the headline-grabbing antics of One Nation’s past, Lee frames her ambitions around the everyday concerns of Tasmanian families: better access to bulk-billing GPs, more hospital beds, relief on fuel excise, and support for housing and education. Her public pitch is simple: apply practical experience, steady management, and a grounded perspective to politics, rather than stunts or media battles.
It is this combination of corporate polish, community awareness, and family-first values that has already begun to reshape One Nation’s image in Tasmania. While the party’s style may be inherited, Lee’s approach is unmistakably her own - quiet, disciplined, and focused on results rather than headlines.
Why Australia Must Have an Honest Debate About the Burqa
— One Nation Australia (@OneNationAus) November 27, 2025
A growing number of Australians are asking why the nation still refuses to have an honest conversation about the burqa. Commentators argue it is one of the most antisocial garments imaginable in a free and open… pic.twitter.com/5Ry0H7xLVj
The Lee Paradox
In April 2025, she launched a Senate tilt in Tasmania with a policy list that read like a worried parent’s kitchen whiteboard: fix bulk-billing, slash fuel excise, joint tax returns for families, more hospital beds. No culture-war fireworks, no “please explain” moments - just the sort of bread-and-butter stuff that makes punters in Burnie and Devonport nod and think, “Yeah, she gets it.”
And then she went home to do the school run.
That is the Lee paradox.
She is loyal enough to carry the family torch, smart enough to rebrand it, and cautious enough to know that one wrong move could scar the two young humans who still call her “Mum” more often than “Senator.”
Pauline itches to hand her the keys to the kingdom.
Whispers in Brisbane say the plan is simple: install her as National Campaign Director / de-facto Chief of Staff in the New Year. Barnaby Joyce, Malcolm Roberts, the whole crew would have to deal with a cool-headed 41-year-old mum instead of the usual back-room blokes’ club. It would be the cleanest reset One Nation has ever had.
Pauline Hanson says her daughter, Lee Hanson, has declined an offer to replace NSW One Nation senator Warwick Stacey, who resigned yesterday for health reasons
— 6 News Australia (@6NewsAU) August 20, 2025
"I said 'hey honey, why don't you move up to NSW', she said 'Mum, I am committed to Tasmania'", Hanson told Sky News pic.twitter.com/8Kdze5mwwz
But here’s the bit the commentariat keeps missing: Lee has already turned the job down once. Her exact words to the ABC this year were:
“I said no for years because my children were little. I’m only doing this now because they’re older and my husband and I have talked it through for a very long time.”
Translation: the final vote isn’t in Brisbane or Canberra.
It’s around a kitchen table in Hobart, between a woman, her husband, and two kids who just want their mum at the Christmas concert.
If the family says yes, Australia will witness something rare: a political dynasty that hands over power not with knives and leaked emails, but with a quiet conversation and a hug. One Nation could suddenly look disciplined, professional, and dare we say it, electable beyond the angry 12%.
If the family says no, Lee stays in Tasmania, keeps being the best mum she can be, and One Nation remains exactly what it has always been: Pauline, a megaphone, and a revolving door of men who eventually get shown the gate.
One Nation is gaining ground in every electorate.
— Rob Smith (@Ausbobsmit) April 26, 2025
This is heartwarming and uplifting. Gives many voters hope. Hope for a change. For the better.
Keep up the great work folks.
Don't forget, Lee Hanson, Paulines stunning, smart and driven daughter is running for a senate spot… pic.twitter.com/ZvGVxol74q
Either way, Lee Sherrard has already won something her mother never quite managed: the respect of people who normally roll their eyes at the name Hanson. In a country tired of scandals, choosing family over the spotlight isn’t weakness. It’s the most Australian kind of strength there is.
And if she ever decides the time is right, she’ll walk into the job with no baggage, no enemies, and the quiet confidence of a woman who knows exactly what she’s prepared to sacrifice - and what she isn’t.
Watch Hobart this summer. The future of One Nation might just be decided over sausages on a Saturday barbie, not in a Brisbane war room.
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