Hanson’s ‘stupid re-run’ of Port Arthur conspiracy theories slammed by Tasmanian Premier
Tasmanian Premier attacks Pauline Hanson’s conspiracy theory talk about the Port Arthur massacre.
Tasmania’s premier and a group set up to honour the child victims of the Port Arthur massacre have slammed Pauline Hanson over her caught-on-tape conspiracy theories.
The One Nation leader has been secretly filmed by Al-Jazeera questioning the facts around the 1996 massacre, which killed 35 people and led to John Howard introducing tougher gun laws in Australia.
Tasmania Premier Will Hodgman labelled Senator Hanson’s comments “extremely hurtful” and attacked her “stupid re-run” of conspiracy theories surrounding the 1996 attack.
“Appallingly ignorant and extremely hurtful comments by @PaulineHansonOz about Port Arthur,” he said in a post on Twitter.
“Our thoughts are always with the victims and their loved ones, who will again be suffering from this stupid re-run of absurd conspiracy theories.”
The Alannah & Madeline Foundation — a children’s charity set up after Alannah and Madeline Mikac, aged six and three, were murdered at Port Arthur — responded to the Premier’s tweet.
“Thank you Premier @alannahmadeline. It has been a hurtful day. We genuinely appreciate your support,” the charity’s twitter account replied to the Premier.
Thank you Premier @alannahmadeline 💜. It has been a hurtful day. We genuinely appreciate your support
— Alannah Madeline Fdn (@alannahmadeline) March 28, 2019
The footage, to be aired in Australia tonight as part of the undercover investigation by Al Jazeera, shows Senator Hanson and adviser James Ashby talking about the mass shooting.
“An MP said it would actually take a massacre in Tasmania to change the gun laws in Australia,” Senator Hanson said at a dinner last year in Queensland with Rodger Muller, who was pretending to be a gun rights advocate while working for the Al Jazeera investigation.
“Haven’t you heard that? Have a look at it. It was said on the floor of parliament. I’ve read a lot and I have read the book on it, Port Arthur. A lot of questions there.”
As far back as 2001, Senator Hanson said she did not support any conspiracy theories regarding the Port Arthur massacre or Martin Bryant, who gunned down 35 people at the historic site in April 1996.
Mr Hodgman himself was forced to backflip on a plan to water down the state’s gun laws last year when he was met with a public backlash.
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