Pauline Hanson says her staff were 'stitched-up' in al-Jazeera investigation

Pauline Hanson has issued a full-throated defence of herself, her chief of staff James Ashby and One Nation's Queensland leader Steve Dickson following an al-Jazeera investigation that appeared to show Mr Ashby and Mr Dickson talking about seeking donations from America's National Rifle Association.

"Today is a day of shame on the Australian media who have been sold a story that is too good to be true," Senator Hanson said.

Queensland senator and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, flanked by party officials James Ashby and Steve Dickson on Thursday.Credit: AAP

Footage secretly filmed by undercover al-Jazeera journalist Rodger Muller, who pretended to be a gun advocate, appeared to show Senator Hanson questioning the 1996 Port Arthur massacre and her staffers seeking foreign donations and discussing weakening Australia’s gun laws.

Senator Hanson said that the footage had been heavily edited, that most of the media was biased against her and that without Mr Muller, no one from her party would have travelled to the United States.

"They [Mr Ashby and Mr Dickson] were not there to learn how to sell a massacre or weaken Australia's gun laws as this program has tried to depict," Senator Hanson said.

"One Nation will never water down gun policy in this country," she said, adding she had "never sought donations or political guidance from the NRA".

According to Senator Hanson, the real purpose of their trip was to learn about campaigning techniques in the United States.

While Senator Hanson admitted her staffers had made some "stupid remarks", she confirmed Mr Ashby would remain in his job as would Mr Dickson.

"I knew he was stitched up," Senator Hanson said of Mr Ashby. "I know his family and I have stayed at his home, he is my friend."

And Senator Hanson called Prime Minister Scott Morrison a "fool" for his party's decision to preference Labor ahead of One Nation in the aftermath of the al-Jazeera investigation and the Christchurch massacre in which 50 worshippers were killed in two mosques.

"You, Prime Minister, have just handed the keys to the Lodge to [Labor leader] Bill Shorten, [Greens leader Richard] Di Natale and the CFMEU," she said.

In a video released by the ABC on Tuesday and filmed by Mr Muller, Senator Hanson appeared to question whether the 1996 Port Arthur massacre that claimed 35 lives and led to the introduction of Australia’s strict gun laws was a conspiracy.

But in her press conference, Senator Hanson said she believed the gunman Martin Bryant was the only person responsible for the massacre.

"There are comments that have been aired in relation to Port Arthur, that are obviously heavily edited and do not reflect how I feel about those tragedies that occurred in 1996," she said.

Senator Hanson was especially critical of the media. She called the ABC's decision to air al-Jazeera's investigation, the second part of which will be broadcast on Thursday night, "unethical" and asked the organisation's newly appointed chairwoman Ita Buttrose to consider whether she supported its actions.

But she praised some media figures who she said had given her a fair hearing.

In a long roll call, Senator Hanson praised Andrew Bolt, Alan Jones, Kyle Sandilands and Sky's Paul Murray among several others.

"I don't hold all media in contempt," she said.

The Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation had not responded to her request to investigate al-Jazeera's conduct, Senator Hanson said.

Senator Hanson did not take questions at the end of her press conference.