Leading a small team he helped to set up 350 branches throughout Australia and admitted 18,000 members to the party.
[1] On 20 August 2003, a jury from the District Court of Queensland convicted Hanson and Ettridge of electoral fraud and the Chief Judge sentenced both to three years without parole for fraudulently registering the One Nation Party.
A police report which advised the Queensland Director of Public Prosecutions that no offence had been committed was never revealed by the Crown and DPP.
[2] However, on 6 November 2003, the Queensland Court of Appeal quashed both convictions and Ettridge and Hanson were released from jail.
Ettridge used his own money for his legal defense, on the understanding that One Nation would repay him, but he states that he has never been repaid.