{"id":81980,"date":"2026-08-28T16:05:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T16:05:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/81980\/"},"modified":"2026-08-28T16:05:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T16:05:11","slug":"new-one-nation-nsw-leader-mike-newman-stuns-media-pack-by-responding-to-reporter-in-fluent-japanese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/81980\/","title":{"rendered":"New One Nation NSW leader Mike Newman stuns media pack by responding to reporter in fluent Japanese"},"content":{"rendered":"

One Nation\u2019s newly unveiled New South Wales leader has responded to a journalist in Japanese, taking a press pack by surprise.<\/p>\n

The party has officially announced investment banker and former NSW Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to Japan and Korea Mike Newman<\/a> as its new NSW leader ahead of the state\u2019s 2027 election.<\/p>\n

Stuart Bonds, who previously contended for the federal NSW seat of Hunter, is set to run for a state upper house seat on the One Nation ticket.<\/p>\n

Holding a press conference in the Hunter region on Friday, Mr Newman outlined his policy ambitions and responded to reporters’ questions \u2013 including one from a Japanese outlet.<\/p>\n

\u201cA question from Japan, sorry,\u201d Mr Newman said, before he began to respond in fluent Japanese to the journalist.<\/p>\n

The moment appeared not only to take reporters by surprise, but also Ms Hanson, who interjected to suggest to Mr Newman that he should reply in English so everyone could understand.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me,\u201d Ms Hanson said.<\/p>\n

Mr Newman told the One Nation leader he would \u201ctranslate straight after\u201d, and Ms Hanson then apologised for the interruption.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe question was basically, the Japanese large businesses have lost a lot of confidence because of the lack of predictability,\u201d Mr Newman told reporters before continuing his answer in Japanese.<\/p>\n

He then clarified to the media pack what he had told the journalist.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBasically what I’ve told her is that what One Nation will be doing is providing predictability, which is the one thing that Japanese investors crave,” Mr Newman said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“And (to) make sure that we ring-fence things and make when they invest in this state they are not going to be jacked up with new royalties to help pay for governments that can’t stop their spending addiction.”<\/p>\n

The announcement on Friday came after Mr Newman told News24.com.au<\/a> that he thought his experience well positioned him to diversify One Nation\u2019s political prospects.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne Nation is not just a one-party policy, we are not a one-trick pony, it is not all about immigration,\u201d Mr Newman told News24 NSW Political Reporter Julia Bradley.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have hungry Australians who want to fix this place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Newman – son of former ABC chair Maurice Newman – has moved to Australia after 25 years working in Asia.<\/p>\n

\"One<\/p>\n

His decades of experience aboard make Mr Newman a fascinating figurehead for a party proud of its Australia-first monoculture platform.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe often raise the conversation about monoculture. Japan is a monoculture, Korea is a monoculture. Super successful nations who pride themselves on that thing,\u201d Mr Newman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Japan or Korea, as long as you respect the core culture, there is no issue with people celebrating their religious faith or cultural events.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked about Ms Hanson\u2019s criticism of Asian immigration in the past and whether One Nation needed to do more to reach out to a more diverse base of voters, Mr Newman said, “Not really”.<\/p>\n

“Look my wife is Japanese, if I thought for a fleeting second that they were racist… my business partners are Indians who are absolutely patriotic Aussies. I don\u2019t really see that,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"One Nation\u2019s newly unveiled New South Wales leader has responded to a journalist in Japanese, taking a 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