A piqued Pauline Hanson has angrily rejected suggestions she is standing for parliament yet again simply for the public funding.

Hanson has become a serial candidate – but a serial candidate with a difference.

Most are harmless nutters – viz Crikey’s founder, Stephen Mayne.

Hanson, however, gets enough votes to qualify for one of the biggest perks our system offers – public funding.

The Electoral Commission’s website explains:

Candidates and Senate groups are eligible for election funding if they receive at least 4 per cent of the formal first preference votes in the election they contested. Election funding is paid to the party where the candidate or Senate group is endorsed by a registered political party and to the appointed ‘agent’ for other candidates and Senate groups.

The rate of election funding for the 2004 federal election was 194.397 cents per formal first preference vote received.

Hanson did very well thank you from that poll. According to the AEC, Hanson received $199,886.77 for her unsuccessful Senate bid that year. Another Senate tilt this year could prove just as lucrative, but the Mother of the Country says she’s only doing it out of love. 

“You get John Howard in here, you get Kevin Rudd in here and ask them if they’re doing it for the money,” she said on 9am with David and Kim on Channel 10 today. “I take that as a complete insult, an absolute insult to me, to suggest that I’m only doing it for the money.”

Indeed, so sensitive was the topic that the poll diva threatened to walk if she was questioned about electoral funding.

It’s hard to turn down good publicity, however, and when co-host Kim Watkins raised the issue, Hanson stayed on the set.

“I’m still sitting here, Kim,” she replied.