Pauline Hanson denies One Nation 'complicit' in Christchurch massacre

It has been put to One Nation leader Pauline Hanson that her party's "anti-Muslim rhetoric" drives extremist attacks such as the Christchurch massacre, in which the alleged Australian gunman killed 50 people praying in two mosques on Friday.

Appearing on Seven's Sunrise on Monday morning – on which she has been a long-time contributor – Hanson was asked by host David "Kochie" Koch if she felt "complicit" in the deadliest mass shooting in New Zealand's modern history.

"This terrorist manifesto almost reads like One Nation immigration and Muslim policy. Do you in any way feel complicit with this atrocity?" Koch asked.

Hanson was quick to reject the idea that she and her party should be held partly responsible for the attack.

"I feel for these people," she said. "I feel for the families that have lost lives. The same [happened] just across the road from here when you had the Lindt cafe massacre ... We have problems but you've actually got to discuss it and debate the issues. Why do we have terrorist attacks in this country? Why is it happening around the world?"

"Most of the terrorist attacks are [carried out by] right-wing white supremacists that are egged on by your comments, by your anti-Muslim comments, saying 'they don't deserve to be here', that 'they will take over our country'," Koch said.

David "Kochie" Koch asking One Nation leader Pauline Hanson about the Christchurch shooting on Seven's Sunrise on Monday, March 18, 2019.Credit: Seven

"Can you understand how that empowers a white supremacist ... into seeing it as a call to arms?"

"That is a load of rubbish," Hanson responded.

Koch reminded Hanson of her second maiden speech in 2016 in which she claimed Australia was "in danger of being swamped by Muslims" with its people "living under sharia law and treated as second-class citizens" if urgent changes weren't made to immigration policies. She had also called for the burqa to be banned and the construction of mosques to be halted.

The Queensland senator also said during the program on Monday that she would abstain from voting to censure former One Nation party colleague Fraser Anning, because it won't "prove a damn thing".

After the altercation, the words "Kochie" and "Sunrise" started to trend on Twitter, but praise for the host's direct line of questioning quickly turned to scorn with many highlighting Hanson's affiliation with Seven, which has continued since her appearance on the network's first season of Dancing With the Stars in October 2004.

According to Media Watch, Hanson made 20 appearances on the show to speak about a range of news stories between September 2015 and July 2016 – in the lead-up to her re-election. In July 2016, News.com.au reported that Hanson was paid for those appearances, with some questioning if the platform was the "leg-up" needed to get back into Parliament.

Michael Pell, Sunrise's executive producer, defended the network and its decision to give Hanson a regular platform.

"Pauline has always been paired on air with someone from the other side of the political spectrum to provide balance, in this case – [crossbencher] Derryn [Hinch]," Pell said. "When necessary, the Sunrise hosts have taken her on, as David did this morning.

"We never shy away from debates. We canvass both sides and viewers are left to make up their own minds. That's what democracy is."

He also said that Hanson was not paid for her appearance, but "Sunrise does make a small donation to [her] chosen charity".

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