Tasmanian politicians and leaders label Pauline Hanson’s Port Arthur conspiracy theories ‘rubbish’
UPDATED: Pauline Hanson has refused to take responsibility for questioning whether the Port Arthur massacre was a government conspiracy because she made the comments in private.
Tasmania
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EARLIER: Pauline Hanson has refused to take responsibility for questioning whether the Port Arthur massacre was a government conspiracy because she made the comments in private.
The One Nation leader said her heart went out to the victims but Al Jazeera was to blame for broadcasting hidden camera footage of her saying there was “a lot of questions” about the 1996 shootings.
“My comments were made at a dinner table, never made publicly. This is not my doing to have exposed this,” she told Nine’s Today program in an interview broadcast this morning.
“It was Al Jazeera and an undercover agent. I’m sorry for these people. They shouldn’t have to go through this again.”
Senator Hanson is now adamant Port Arthur was not a government conspiracy, arguing she was taken out of context.
“An MP said it would actually take a massacre in Tasmania to change the gun laws in Australia,” she told Al Jazeera undercover reporter Rodger Muller.
“I’ve read a lot and I have read the book on it, Port Arthur. A lot of questions there.”
The second part of the Al Jazeera investigation was broadcast nationally on the ABC on Thursday night and was available online throughout the day.
But Senator Hanson claims she hasn’t watched it, despite arguing the footage was an elaborate stitch-up orchestrated by the Qatari network.
One Nation’s Queensland leader Steve Dickson and Senator Hanson’s chief of staff James Ashby were caught meeting with powerful gun lobby groups and talking about getting millions in donations from them.
In the footage, Mr Dickson and Mr Ashby spoke on multiple occasions about ways to water down Australia’s gun laws, but Senator Hanson is sticking by two of her closest lieutenants.
“Steve said some stupid things or inappropriate things, but I know Steve. Steve is a family man,” she said.
“He’s a good man and Steve Dickson would never ever want to water down the gun laws in Australia, the same as I won’t.”
She “categorically” ruled out supporting any changes to Australia’s gun laws.
The Queensland senator also lashed Prime Minister Scott Morrison for vowing to put One Nation below Labor on Liberal how-to-vote cards at the May election.
“He is a fool because he’s fallen into the trap of what the Labor Party and the Greens want, because he’s just handed the keys to them for the Lodge,” Senator Hanson said.
— MATT COUGHLAN, AAP
OVERNIGHT: ONE Nation leader Pauline Hanson says she believes the man jailed for the 1996 Port Arthur massacre was the only person responsible for the deaths of those 35 people.
Senator Hanson was secretly recorded in an Al Jazeera documentary appearing to suggest the Port Arthur tragedy was a conspiracy aimed at toughening the nation’s gun laws.
But on Thursday she said those comments about Port Arthur — in which she said there remained a “lot of questions” about the events — were taken out of context.
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“There is no question in my mind [the person imprisoned for the massacre] was the only person responsible for the murders of 35 innocent lives,” Senator Hanson said.
“My belief stands today that he should have faced the death penalty.”
Senator Hanson had earlier been condemned by politicians on all sides as well as survivors of the massacre.
EARLIER: A FORMER Tasmanian politician who helped negotiate tougher gun laws after the Port Arthur massacre has slammed Pauline Hanson’s “conspiracy theories” as “absolute rubbish”.
Ronald Cornish has responded to suggestions from the One Nation leader that there remained a “lot of questions” on the 1996 shooting that killed 35 people.
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Mr Cornish was the state’s attorney-general at the time and helped negotiate bipartisan support for the current gun laws in the wake of the massacre.
He said the Port Arthur shooting had a “dramatic impact” on Tasmania.
“That’s absolute nonsense that she’s talking about,” Mr Cornish told the Mercury today.
“Anyone who doesn’t believe Port Arthur didn’t happen needs to go see a psychiatrist.”
Former Tasman mayor Roseanne Heyward said Senator Hanson’s comments were “disappointing”. Her goddaughter, Elizabeth Howard, was killed in the massacre.
“You put Port Arthur on Google and you get all sorts of weird and wonderful things and it’s just ridiculous,” Ms Heyward said.
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“For Pauline Hanson to make that sort of a comment was inappropriate and not well thought out.
“For people to say it was just to get the gun laws changed, I mean really? It’s ludicrous to think a government would go to such lengths to change gun laws.”
Premier Will Hodgman labelled Senator Hanson’s comments “appallingly ignorant and extremely hurtful”.
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“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,” Mr Hodgman said.
Opposition leader Rebecca White also released a statement condemning Senator Hanson.
“Ms Hanson’s shocking comments have reopened those wounds and caused unnecessary anguish for Tasmanians,” she said.
“For the leader of an Australian political party — even one as repugnant as One Nation — to spread this rubbish is unbelievable.
“To stir up that grief for people still suffering is cruel, it is misinformed and it is ignorant and offensive.”
Dad Walter Mikac, who lost his wife Nanette and daughters Alannah, 6, and Madeline, 3, at Port Arthur said Senator Hanson should be removed from parliament.
Mr Mikac, founder of the Alannah & Madeline Foundation, told Melbourne radio station 3AW her comments were like “a dagger in the heart”.
“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.
“She needs to retract or make a public statement about her real thoughts on it.
“If we have someone with that idea representing us, she does need to be out — it’s just a disgrace.”
After the damning One Nation revelations were aired, Prime Minister Scott Morrison declared the Liberals would preference the party below Labor at the May federal election.
Tasmanian federal Labor MPs Julie Collins and Brian Mitchell said the One Nation senator’s comments would be heartbreaking for traumatised Port Arthur victims, survivors and first responders.
“Our thoughts are with those who will be hurt by Hanson’s grossly ignorant comments,” the pair said in a joint statement.
“Labor stands today with everyone who rightly rejects these offensive remarks. Our resolve to never let a tragedy like Port Arthur happen again remains unwavering.”
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