Category Archives: One Nation

One Nation and Port Arthur conspiracies: a long and dishonourable history

Posted on by

Pauline Hanson publicly denies the 1996 massacre was a set-up, but the believers have consistently found a home in her party

Pauline Hanson’s One Nation has been connected to supporters of the Port Arthur conspiracy theory since before the party was formed in 1997, despite repeated assurances from the Queensland senator that she had never believed the theory.

According to a Queensland political historian, it would take “a lot of good faith” to assume that Hanson has not been aware that those supporting the conspiracy theory had found safe harbour in One Nation over the past 20 years.

Continue reading...

Penny Wong warns racism and hate speech in parliament threaten democracy

Posted on by

Labor senator says those who ‘see political or commercial advantage in heightening cynicism’ are diminishing civic life

Penny Wong will say that “racism is a threat to our democracy” in a speech taking aim at those who see “political or commercial advantage” in increased cynicism towards public institutions.

The Labor senator is set to warn that hate speech and extremist views in parliament and a “lack of unity in response to these” have harmed democracy, pointing the finger in part at the Coalition for its tardy response to condemn One Nation in the 45th parliament.

Continue reading...

Pauline Hanson suggests Port Arthur massacre was a government conspiracy

Posted on by

One Nation leader tells al-Jazeera reporter there are ‘a lot of questions’ about 1996 attack

Pauline Hanson has implied that the 1996 Port Arthur massacre was a government conspiracy, in comments recorded secretly by al-Jazeera.

Hidden camera footage, released by al-Jazeera as part of the undercover operation that revealed One Nation had sought a US$20m (A$28m) donation from the US gun lobby, showed the party’s leader saying she had “a lot of questions” about Port Arthur.

Continue reading...

One Nation’s James Ashby filmed seeking $20m from NRA to weaken Australia’s gun laws

Posted on by

Al-Jazeera journalist posing as gun campaigner films senior party figures in Washington DC soliciting financial support to help One Nation seize the balance of power

Senior One Nation figures James Ashby and Steve Dickson have been caught seeking millions of dollars of political donations from US gun rights group the National Rifle Association in a bid to seize the balance of power and weaken Australia’s gun laws.

The revelations are contained in an al-Jazeera investigation which used hidden cameras and a journalist posing as a grassroots gun campaigner to expose the far-right party’s extraordinary efforts to secure funding in Washington DC in September.

Continue reading...

Gladys Berejiklian leads Coalition to third term in government in NSW

Posted on by

Premier says she will work closely with minor parties as prospect of minority government remains

Gladys Berejiklian has led the Coalition to a third term in government in New South Wales despite a rising tide of minor parties and independents, and has become the first woman elected premier of the state at a general election.

Many seats were still too close to call on Saturday evening but one thing was certain – the night had been a huge disappointment for Labor, with no chance of forming government and no major improvement in their statewide primary vote compared with the election four years earlier.

Continue reading...

Bangers and ballots: everything you need to know about the NSW election

Posted on by

There’s a good chance Saturday’s poll will produce a hung parliament. Here’s how to make your vote count – and where to buy your democracy sausage

Almost 5.3 million people are enrolled to vote at more than 8,000 voting stations in Saturday’s state election. New South Wales has fixed terms, with elections held on the fourth Saturday in March every four years since 1995. About a quarter of voters cast their ballot before election day in 2015, and this is expected to rise in 2019. Almost 850,000 people had voted by Thursday morning.

Continue reading...

Australian senator Fraser Anning punches teen after being egged

Posted on by

Marginal far-right senator had sought attention by blaming the New Zealand terror attack on Muslim immigration

An Australian senator who blamed the New Zealand terror attack on Muslim immigration has punched a 17-year-old boy after he was egged at an event in Melbourne.

Video footage recorded at the event appears to show Fraser Anning, a far-right independent Queensland senator, halfway through a press conference when the teenager cracked an egg over his head while filming with a mobile phone. The senator responded by punching the 17-year-old. The teenager was then tackled to the ground by Anning’s supporters and held in a chokehold.

Continue reading...

Citizenship report puts national security reform on back burner – politics live

Posted on by

Joint committee calls for further review of bill stripping terrorists of citizenship, as PM hands down Closing the Gap report and Coalition keeps up medical transfers scare campaign. All the day’s events, live

The attorney-general’s office released the transcript of his interview with Kieran Gilbert on Sky News this morning.

It includes this exchange between Christian Porter, as the first law officer and Gilbert:

Chris Bowen and Mark Butler have held a press conference to blast the government for dumping the big stick.

Labor doesn’t support this policy but the Bowen/Butler argument is the government did, and this is yet another energy policy that has now bitten the dust. The government says it will take the policy to the coming election, and seek a mandate.

Continue reading...

Fraser Anning billed taxpayers for staying at brother’s Queensland hotel

Posted on by

Exclusive: senator claimed expenses for two trips to Babinda in 2018, where his brother owns a hotel

Fraser Anning claimed a taxpayer-funded accommodation and meals allowance for staying at his brother’s hotel in the regional town of Babinda.

The independent senator’s use of taxpayer funds for travel has been under scrutiny since he announced he would bill the public to travel from Queensland to a far-right rally in St Kilda on Saturday.

Continue reading...