‘I’m absolutely sick of it’: Hanson lashes One Nation members

Pauline Hanson has broken down in tears in a TV interview, lashing out at current and former One Nation members.

Pauline Hanson on A Current Affair. Picture: Channel Nine

Pauline Hanson has broken down in tears during a television interview where she lashed out at current and former One Nation members for ‘letting her down dreadfully’ and leaving the party in chaos.

In an interview on Channel Nine’s A Current Affair, the Queensland senator was asked about Steve Dickson, who resigned this morning after footage surfaced of him groping a performer in a Washington DC strip club.

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Senator Hanson was also asked about the implications of a sting investigation that exposed Mr Dickson and James Ashby — Senator Hanson’s staffer — for approaching the US gun lobby for donations to water down laws in Australia.

The One Nation leader choked up and began crying when asked about her responsibility over the actions of her party members.

“It was not done with my approval … I did not know they were going over there and I did not know they would say these things. I am devastated with a whole lot, what has occurred there. I am furious about this.

“I cop all this shi*t all the time, and I’m sick of it. Absolutely sick of it.” Senator Hanson said. She also said that while other politicians “sail through” controversies, people continue to ‘kick her in the guts’.

She said she had not yet expressed her “devastation” to Mr Dickson because she was “concerned” for him after the strip club revelations.

Senator Hanson also defended Mr Ashby, saying he was not someone she considered to have let her down despite his involvement in the Al Jazeera sting investigation.

“I have been let down dreadfully. Not by him (Ashby). I can give you a whole list of them. A whole list of people having a go at me. Don’t put the blame on them (Ashby and Dickson).

Senator Hanson went onto list Fraser Anning, Brian Burston and One Nation co-founder David Oldfield as having let her down.

While crying, interviewer Tracy Grimshaw asked Senator Hanson: “Why are you still in it? Look at what it is doing to you”.

She replied: “I made a change out there for people.”.

Asked who she blamed for One Nation’s current situation, she said: “It’s a series of events that actually happened. If I could turn back time I would say don’t go to America. But you can’t. I have to deal with this whole situation.

On the leaked footage of Mr Dickson in the strip club, Senator Hanson said: “what is on the vision I will not justify because I am disgusted by it”.

Criticising the Al Jazeera undercover investigation that revealed both the strip club and gun lobby controversies, Senator Hanson said:

“This was a sting three years in the making to discredit One Nation and pull us down. This was done in September. It comes out now, on the cusp of an election.

“Why is everyone frightened of me and frightened of One Nation? The Liberal Party are preferencing us below the Labor Party. Why? We work with them so well.”

Asked if her party had intentions to water down gun laws, Senator Hanson said: “I am not getting in bed with the gun lobby.”

“I have been working with the Australian gun associations here and I have a gun policy that is very strong and I will not change or relent.

“I do not care what these guys said. I am the leader and not them. I will make the final decisions.

Senator Hanson also denied that she sent Mr Dickson and Mr Ashby on the trip to visit US gun lobbyists, saying “they went themselves”.

“I did not tell them to do that. I did not tell them to have discussions about watering down gun laws.”

“I am sorry, it was not done with my approval.”