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Pauline Hanson insinuates Port Arthur massacre was a government conspiracy

Explosive new covert footage has captured One Nation leader Pauline Hanson questioning the legitimacy of the infamous Port Arthur mass shooting that left 35 people dead in 1996.

In the newly surfaced clip filmed in an Al Jazeera undercover investigation, Senator Hanson appears to suggest that the massacre, which prompted the Howard Government to introduce The National Firearms Agreement, was a government conspiracy.

“I’ve read a lot and I’ve read the book on it, Port Arthur. I read a book on it, on Port Arthur. A lot of questions there,” Senator Hanson tells fake gun lobbyist Rodger Muller in the video.

When those comments were made, Senator Hanson was being secretly filmed by Mr Muller, an actor hired by Al Jazeera to pose as the leader of a fictitious advocate group called Gun Rights Australia.

“An MP said it would actually take a massacre in Tasmania to change the gun laws in Australia,” she said.

“Have a look at it. It was said on the floor of Parliament.”

Watch the Senator Hanson footage below:

Senator Hanson can also be seen discussing the September 11 attacks with her chief of staff James Ashby, immediately after raising her suspicions about Port Arthur.

“That whole September 11 thing, too,” Mr Ashby said after her comments about Port Arthur.

“Those shots. They were precision shots,” Senator Hanson responds.

Labor MP Andrew Leigh, who is mentored by lawyer Zoe Hall, a victim of the Port Arthur massacre, expressed his disgust at Senator Hanson’s remarks.

“It’s frankly just disgusting to me that anyone would suggest that this is some kind of hoax,” Dr Leigh told the ABC.

“It was an awful, awful tragedy in which wonderful Australians died.

“If Scott Morrison was a strong leader he would follow the example of John Howard and put One Nation last, where they belong, in every contest and every candidate, Liberal and National.”

National children’s charity, the Alannah & Madeline Foundation released a statement, reiterating their support of the National Firearms Agreement.

“The Foundation proudly supports the National Firearms Agreement which has proven to reduce gun violence. We stand with the families whose lives were shattered at Port Arthur. We will keep working to protect children from violence. That is truly one nation, working together,” it tweeted.

Senator Hanson is preparing to front the media over the scandal engulfing her One Nation party, after Mr Ashby and Queensland One Nation leader Steve Dickson were caught talking about asking the American gun lobby for $US20 million.

The pair claimed they were “on the sauce”, but Prime Minister Scott Morrison said being drunk was no excuse.

He urged Australians to abandon the conservative, minor party.

“Being drunk is no excuse for trading away Australia’s gun laws to foreign bidders,” Mr Morrison told reporters on Wednesday.

Senator Hanson broke her silence on Wednesday, saying she was shocked and disgusted with the “hit piece” by Qatari TV network Al Jazeera.

“A Qatari government organisation should not be targeting Australian political parties. This has been referred to ASIO,” she tweeted.

When asked whether Al Jazeera had been referred to ASIO, an ASIO spokesperson told The New Daily it “has not comment”.

The One Nation leader has been suffering from a supposed tick bite on her face for the past week, but is expected appear in public on Thursday.

Labor leader Bill Shorten has repeated his assertion the Prime Minister needs to back up his condemnation of One Nation by putting them last on Liberal how-to-vote cards.

Mr Morrison has consistently said the Liberals will wait until final nominations before deciding on their preferences.

-with AAP

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