By Tom McIlroy
Queensland senator-elect Pauline Hanson has fought back tears recounting her 2003 jailing over quashed political corruption charges, blaming Tony Abbott and John Howard for a "political witch-hunt" against her.
Following her resurgence at the July 2 election, a new SBS documentary about the 1990s rise and fall of One Nation has been brought forward for broadcast later this month.
Ms Hanson promises her maiden speech in the Senate will be just as controversial as her explosive 1996 parliamentary debut, in which she said Australia was at risk of being swamped by Asians.
The film, directed Anna Broinowski, explores One Nation's impact on multiculturalism in Australia and includes interviews with Mr Howard, incoming Labor federal MP Linda Burney and Indigenous leader and academic Marcia Langton.
Pauline Hanson pictured as she started her sentence in Queensland's Wacol women's prison.
Mr Abbott doesn't appear in the documentary, leaving his former staffer, David Oldfield, and Ms Hanson's friend and adviser, John Pasquarelli, to recount the tumultuous events which made Ms Hanson an international sensation.
Ms Hanson reveals she was placed on suicide watch on her first night in Queensland's Wacol women's prison.
The controversial politician and her adviser David Ettridge were initially found guilty for fraudulently registering the One Nation Party, while Ms Hanson was also found guilty on charges of fraudulently obtaining about $500,000 in electoral funding.
After serving 11 weeks of a three-year sentence, the pair were released after their convictions were overturned on appeal.
Ms Hanson in the new documentary directed by Anna Broinowski.
The documentary, in the works since 2014, includes Ms Hanson's mugshot from the prison.
"They just threw one court case at me after another," she said in an interview filmed in her Ipswich home.
"It was a sham. The whole thing was an absolute political witch-hunt to destroy me.
"I just felt everything was stripped away from me and how the people perceived me but I think what was more important is what my kids went through.
"It took me a long time to get over it. I blame Tony Abbott [and] John Howard for my imprisonment and no one will ever change my opinion about that."
Ms Hanson says Mr Abbott was supported by Mr Howard in a pursuit over electoral funds.
"He couldn't leave it up to the Australian people to determine at the ballot box whether they wanted me, One Nation, or my policies," she said.
In an interview, Mr Howard denies any involvement and says One Nation had no influence on Liberal Party policies.
"That's a ludicrous conspiracy theory because Tony Abbott was acting off his own bat," he said.
"Certainly he had no encouragement of inspiration from me."
Mr Pasquarelli says Mr Abbott had acted out of anger after Mr Oldfield's defection to One Nation.
"Tony should have taken Oldfield around the back of the office and went 'bang bang'. Don't take it out on an intelligent though poorly educated woman," he said.
"Don't go take it out on her. Take it out on the bloke who dudded you, mate."
Mr Abbott declined to comment on Tuesday.
Pauline Hanson: Please Explain! will air on SBS on July 31.