Father of Port Arthur victims slams Pauline Hanson’s conspiracy comments

A dad who lost his family in the Port Arthur massacre says Pauline Hanson’s comments about the devastating mass shooting were like ‘a dagger in the heart’ and has called for the senator to be removed from parliament.

A dad who lost his family in the Port Arthur massacre says Senator Pauline Hanson should be removed from parliament after she was caught on secret tapes sharing conspiracies about the devastating mass shooting.

Walter Mikac, who lost his wife Nanette and daughters Alannah, 6, and Madeline, 3, during the 1996 massacre, said Ms Hanson’s comments were like “a dagger in the heart”.

“I say to Pauline Hanson, come walk in my shoes,” the Alannah & Madeline Foundation founder said.

“I have been without Nanette for nearly 23 years. I haven’t seen the school graduations, the 21st or the 18th (birthdays) and I won’t see the weddings.”

He told 3AW that political life in Australia had reached a “low”.

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Walter Mikac with his daughters Alannah and Madeline three months before they died.

“When you have people supposedly representing the population saying things like that … it’s just expediency that if it suits their purpose and they can get funds and get more power, they’ll do it,” he said.

Mr Mikac said Ms Hanson must retract her comments or be ousted from Canberra.

“She needs to retract or make a public statement about her real thoughts on it,” he said.

“If we have someone with that idea representing us, she does need to be out — it’s just a disgrace.

“People are entitled to their opinions however this is history. This only happened 23 years ago and you just need to go to the memorial and view the transcript of what happened to know the horrendous nature of those events. You are just chilled to the bone.”

Other survivors of the Port Arthur massacre, including a Tasmanian surgeon who dealt with the horrific aftermath, also lashed out at the “disrespectful” senator.

Walter Mikac said those who lost loved ones in the attack would be mortified by the One Nation leader’s comments. Picture: Elise Derwin

Dr Bryan Walpole said that Ms Hanson’s comments were “absolute bunkum”, and should prompt Australians to boot her from office.

“We were absolutely astonished that someone, especially with the responsibility of a sitting MP in federal parliament, would bring this up,” he said.

“The vast majority of Australians need to wake up to people like her and vote them out of office. Frankly we don’t need people like that.”

Victorian survivor Peter Grenfell, his wife Pauline and another couple had just left the Broad Arrow Cafe when the shooting began inside.

He told the Herald Sun yesterday that he didn’t think Ms Hanson would “stoop that low”.

“She can mouth off as much as she likes but unless you were there you have no idea what happened,” Mr Grenfell, who visits Port Arthur twice a year, said.

“You try to put it behind you but when you hear comments like that, especially that aren’t true, it really brings it up.”

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson filmed insinuating Port Arthur was a conspiracy theory Picture: Al Jazeera

Thirty five people died and 23 were wounded when Martin Bryant opened fire with two semiautomatic rifles at Port Arthur on April 28, 1996.

The mass killings horrified the nation, and transformed gun laws.

Mr Mikac said those who lost loved ones in the attack would be mortified by the One Nation leader’s comments.

“For the people who have lost loved ones, who were there and experienced it and are traumatised for the rest of their life and have to live with that — it’s just like putting a dagger in heart and opening it up again,” he said.

“I say to Pauline Hanson, come walk in my shoes. I have been without Nanette for nearly 23 years. I haven’t seen the school graduations, the 21st or the 18th (birthdays) and I won’t see the weddings.

“It doesn’t get much realer than that. It’s a reality — it’s like saying Christchurch didn’t happen two weeks ago.”

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Originally published as Father of Port Arthur victims slams Pauline Hanson’s conspiracy comments