Australia’s first case of severe Political Interference from a Foreign Government – The Full Response By Pauline Hanson
Full News Conference Video: https://www.facebook.com/OneNationParty/videos/584182785391777/
Full Transcript
Hi. Good morning and thank you for your patience in allowing me to recover these last couple of days. Today is the day of shame on the Australian media who have been sold a story that is too good to be true and you took it hook, line and sinker. Media across Australia had been blinded by the hate and bias towards One Nation and myself and rush to report on heavily edited footage. These covert recordings have been seen in full and the footage has been heavily edited. Therefore, comments aired have been taken completely out of context.
Admissions have been made by the Qatar Government funded organisation, Al Jazeera, that myself and One Nation had zero affiliation or connection with the NRA. When Al Jazeera discovered this, they orchestrated meetings with the National Rifle Association and donors to American President Donald Trump’s election campaign.
Let me make it very clear to the Australian people. I have never sought donations or political guidance from the NRA. An approach by Roger Muller, who was working under cover for the Islamist organisation made an offer to me to be a guest speaker at the annual Congressional Sportsmen’s Dinner in September, 2018. I declined that offer based on two reasons. One, a federal election could have been called at any time last year and I had been heavily criticised when a previous holiday overlapped with the Longman by-election.
Two, I felt there was no reason to talk with Americans when my voters are here in Australia. It was not a good look. Roger Muller’s persistence for my attendance was endless. My refusal not to attend led Roger Muller to instead invite Steve Dickson and James Ashby. Roger Muller and undercover operative for the Al Jazeera, took it upon himself to prearrange a guest speaking position at the Congressional Sportsmen’s vent for my chief of staff prior to any commitment from One Nation agreeing to attend.
Roger Muller also took it upon himself, not at the request of One Nation, to prearrange two meetings with the NRA campaigners and social media staff. They were not there to learn how to sell a mascot or weaken Australians’ gun laws as his programme has tried to depict. Roger Muller and Al Jazeera was responsible for every single orchestrated meeting during my staff’s visit to the United States. If it wasn’t for Roger Muller and the Islamist Al Jazeera network, One Nation would never, never have had any association with the NRA, Coke Industries or the Congressional Sportsmen’s dinner. They would never have gone to the United States full stop.
My approval of their visit was to learn campaigning techniques, meet with other elected officials at the Congressional Sportsmen’s Dinner and learn about the power and economy of the United States. This is not uncommon for political staffers from Labour, the Liberals and the Greens to travel to the United States for political knowledge. And unlike the major parties, my staff did not travel at the expense of taxpayers.
In an interview I did with Roger Mullah for his website, Gun Rights Australia, I rejected his calls for a concealed carrying of guns and the watering down of Australia’s gun laws. He also asked me these same questions at the dinner table insisting that women should be allowed to carry guns for protection. Again, I said we weren’t changing the laws in Australia. I am also aware that Steve Dickson and James Ashby gave him the same reply when he asked them on multiple occasions.
Why haven’t these comments being shown? This is Australia’s first case of severe political interference from a foreign government. The questions must be asked. How much involvement did the ABC having this illegal covert operation and how much money has the ABC paid using taxpayers’ dollars to organisations affiliated with Qatari Islamist government? Qatar is a government that enforces Sharia law, public floggings, genital mutilation, suppression of women and stoning.
This is a political attack by Al Jazeera in cooperation with the ABC. If the ABC had any ethical bone in their body, they would refuse to put this unfair and unbalanced story to air tonight. Ita Buttrose, you need to ask the question of your organisation as the chairwoman. Is this the unethical behaviour you support or do you truly believe they should be aired before a full investigation by ASIO and the Federal Police in light of the true extent of deception? I note ASIO and the Federal Police because I have personally ask them to investigate this matter and I am awaiting a response from them.
Al Jazeera refused to release the unedited covert recordings and I call on them to hand the tapes over to police and to other Australian media sources to clear this party and its members’ names. Even Peter Greste, a former Al Jazeera journalist has pulled out his former employer for unethical practises.
Journalism ethics are on the line today and Australian voters are asking if the Australian media are complicit in airing this false story. There are comments that have been aired in relation to Port Arthur that are obviously heavily edited and do not reflect how I feel about those tragedies that occurred in 1996. There is no question in my mind that Martin Bryant was the only person responsible for the murders of 35 innocent lives. And my belief stands today that he should have faced the death penalty.
In relation to the discussion of donations from America, I did not give my consent for those conversations to be had. My words and actions on the floor of parliament speak the loudest when I voted in favour of banning all foreign donations in late 2018 well, after Steve Dickson and James Ashby visited the United States. One Nation has never received any foreign donations and you are all welcome to review the electoral commissions reporting of donations to this party.
Let me make it very clear to everyone in this country. One Nation will never water down gun policy in this country. One Nation’s firearms policy is one of the strongest and most widely accepted policy in the country. It is stronger than the new laws put forward by the New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern because One Nation want to take guns off criminals and those on terror watch lists.
I call on all Australians, take the time to visit our website and be informed. One Nation will never sell its vote to donors and I make that very clear to those who have given money to this party. Perhaps that’s why big organisation and big business don’t give us donations. I have rejected a $50,000 donation from a tobacco company here in Australia and I will reject donations from anyone that feels I, does not share the values of our party. We are a small party that gets very few donations compared to Labour, the Liberals, the Greens, and the National Party who have all taken foreign donations until changes last year. Our donors are mums and dads and retirees who have had a gut full of the two party preferred system that are slowly destroying our country, culture and way of life.
Do I need political donations to keep this party going? You bet I do. We’re up against the major parties who spend up to $60 million each election to win seats across this country. I make no [inaudible 00:10:22] about wanting to change the political voting system. Only today, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced he will be preferencing the Labour Party. And Bill Shorten has done a deal to give Labor’s preferences to the Liberals. This is why we have free trade deals that are destroying industries and manufacturing and bringing in thousands of foreign workers under the same deals. It’s why Australia has the highest immigration rates in the developed world. It’s why the UN are making decisions on Australia’s refugee intake, freedom of speech and opinion, our water and our electricity, which both labour and the liberals support.
Why are Australians allowing these major parties to sign over our rights to who decides who controls this nation? I am the last political voice in Australia who is genuinely here for the people of this country. No wonder Australians have had a gut full of Labour and the Liberal National Party. Voters are being misled by the major parties and I wish people would understand how to take control of their own preferences.
I am here to inform you today that James Ashby will remain as my Chief of Staff and Steve Dickson will remain on the Senate ticket in Queensland. These are two very good men who want nothing but the best for this country and the people of Australia. There has been a deliberate and intense effort for years to destroy James Ashby’s credibility since he came to work for me. He has made some stupid remarks as we all have, but I’ve worked so closely with this man for years to know his integrity is unquestionable and he will not be given a trial by media in an effort to have him sucked. He has been targeted over the pain and has been found to have no case to answer by the Electoral Commission.
He is facing false allegations of assault by a member of parliament. There is security vision and three witnesses that have verified James Ashby did not assault anyone. I have no problem [inaudible 00:12:56] people, just asked Brian Burston, John Passarelli or David Oldfield.
It brings me to Steve Dickson. When I first saw the initial hit piece and Steve Dickson’s comments, I was disgusted. But having watched my own comments, knowing how out of context they were portrayed to the Australian people, I knew he was stitched up. I’ve worked closely with this man for at least two and a half years. I know his family and I have stayed at his home. He is a friend. I acknowledge that Steve made some inappropriate comments. However, let’s not forget he was set up. It is all a ploy to destroy One Nation leading into the election.
Steve has admitted and understands what he said wasn’t the right thing, but he was taken out of context and a victim of entrapment. Sometimes we learn the hard way, but we all deserve a second chance and that is exactly what Steve will get. I stand by Steve and James and so does the party. Al Jazeera and media within this country may have tried to destroy One Nation. However, it has backfired. Instead, we stand here today united even stronger. This was a four year ploy designed to target conservative parties. I am aware that Katter’s Australia Party was also a target of this Middle Eastern foreign agent.
For 23 years I had been targeted by the media with a biassed political agenda who have not bothered to report the full facts or give me a fair go. In 1998 I was informed that Rupert Murdoch offered staff a bonus to get any dirt on Pauline Hanson. He’s motto, kill the cow or get the bitch. I ask you what has changed? Not a great deal. Just take a look at white ribbon advocate David Bosch. I don’t hold all media with this contempt and you know whether you’ve given me a fair go or not. You don’t have to agree with my policies or my presentation to give me a fair go.
It’s at this point I must congratulate Andrew Bolt for seeing through the spin and propaganda Al Jazeera and the ABC have aired. Ellen Jones who stood by me when I was imprisoned in 2003 and has to this day continued to give me a fair go. Paul [inaudible 00:15:55] has always been there to offer me a platform unlike so many others. Others to have been generous with their time. They include Laurie Atlas and Aaron Stevens on 4RO. John MacKenzie at 4CA FM. Perko at 4MK FM. [inaudible 00:16:14] who does the country show on Triple M in Brisbane. Wildy on Power 100 in Townsville. [inaudible 00:16:21] Armstrong who’s left Townsville and gone to the Sydney Morning Herald. Kyle Sandilands at KIIS FM and Brent Bultitude at 2HD.
Michael Mckenna from The Australian. He has been reasonable and so too has Renee Viellaris from The Australian, from the Courier-Mail I should say. Both have given me a fair go. There are many more in regional and rural areas across this country and I thank you.
I want to congratulate Mark Latham on is win in New South Wales and welcome him to the baptism of fire. I also want to thank the people out there who have stood by me and One Nation. I think our candidates who have stood strong during these testing times and my amazing staff who have been with me from day one. And lastly my family who again, have had to sit silently and watch me go through hell.
Australia, we are only weeks away from a federal election and One Nation is the biggest threat to the major parties. With Scott Morrison’s comments today where he has done a preference deal with Labour, you Prime Minister have just handed the keys to the large, to Bill Shorten, Dina Tali and the CFM EU. You’re a fool. To the media here today, you have come here bane for my blood and I will not give it to you. I am answerable to the Australian people only and they will have their say at the ballot box. Thank you.
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