One Nation New South Wales leader Mark Latham has slammed Al Jazeera for carrying out a ‘hit job’ and ‘interfering with democracy’ – saying Australian journalists would be jailed in Qatar for doing the same thing.
Mr Latham, who was elected to the NSW parliament on Saturday, criticised Al Jazeera – a government-owned news organisation based in Qatar – for its hidden camera documentary: ‘How To Sell A Massacre’.
The investigation detailed One Nation’s efforts to receive millions of dollars in donations from America’s National Rifle Association.
Mr Latham said Australian journalists would be severely punished if they were caught deceiving Qatari politicians.
One Nation New South Wales leader Mark Latham has slammed Al Jazeera for carrying out a ‘hit job’ and ‘interfering with democracy’
Mr Latham, who was elected to the NSW parliament on Saturday, criticised Al Jazeera – a news organisation based in Qatar – for its hidden camera documentary ‘How To Sell A Massacre’. Pictured from left: One Nation chief of staff James Ashby, One Nation Queensland leader Steve Dickson, and Al Jazeera journalist Rodger Muller
Mr Latham said Al Jazeera had interfered with Australian politics and threatened democracy. Pictured: One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and Mr Muller
‘They’d lock them up and throw away the key. That’s how they do it in the Middle East,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Fancy them lecturing someone on guns and violence.’
‘If you’re recording someone, you let them know the tape is running. This must’ve cost $1million to pay this bloke and for all the costs associated with it – all of it on the basis of lies and deception.’
Mr Latham said Al Jazeera had interfered with Australian politics and threatened democracy.
‘That’s the poison that’s been placed here,’ he said.
‘They’ve planned to target One Nation and destroy them… It’s hard to get your head around it – to be doing this for over three years.
‘At it’s core it’s a shameful display.’
On Tuesday, James Ashby (right) and the party’s Queensland leader Steve Dickson (left) responded to the footage which was revealed to have been part of an undercover investigation conducted by Al-Jazeera
This image from one of the trips to the US shows Mr Dickson pointing a gun at a firearm show
The documentary revealed that One Nation members plotted with the National Rifle Association to target women and ‘vulnerable people’.
Secret recordings taken by Al Jazeera journalists showed One Nation chief of staff James Ashby discussing how to promote guns to Australians.
‘It’s like Vegemite. You don’t put a f**king bundle of the s**t on your toast,’ Mr Ashby said.
‘A light smear at first, get them used to the flavour. Part of it will be let’s start looking at women’s shooting range programmes, self-defence programmes, whatever those things might be.
‘Start re-empowering women or vulnerable people.’
In the second part of the Al Jazeera investigation, One Nation’s Queensland leader Steve Dickson compared winning the balance of power in parliament to holding a gun to the government’s head.
One Nation members were caught on camera asking the NRA for $20million in donations to help them win more seats in parliament.
‘The thing you need to understand about the balance of power is the headlock and the 9mm [gun] to the back of the head, that’s where it sits,’ Mr Dickson said.
‘Once you say ”we want something”, we will get it. Without it, they don’t get any legislation through.’
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson was caught on camera appearing to suggest the Port Arthur massacre that killed 35 people may have been a conspiracy.
Senator Hanson was heard insinuating the shooting had been orchestrated as a plot to change the gun laws in the country.
Martin Bryant shot and killed 35 people at Port Arthur in 1996 is considered Australia’s deadliest ever shooting.
Mr Ashby seemingly suggested the ‘September 11 thing’ was also a conspiracy.
The documentary revealed that One Nation members plotted with the National Rifle Association to target women and ‘vulnerable people’. Pictured: Rodger Muller
‘Those shots, they were precision shots,’ Ms Hanson said about the Port Arthur killings. ‘I read a book on it, on Port Arthur. A lot of questions there.’
The incident led to the introduction of the National Firearms Agreement in 1996 which restricted the ownership of semi-automatic weapons and automatic weapons.
‘I go on my gut feeling. It’s really, to do with the gun issue and tied up with the American issue at the moment,’ Senator Hanson said.
The senator later responded to the investigation in a tweet, calling the documentary a ‘hit piece’.
‘I was shocked and disgusted with the Al Jazeera hit piece. A Qatari government organisation should not be targeting Australian political parties. This has been referred to ASIO. After the full hit piece has been released I’ll make a full statement & take all appropriate action,’ she tweeted.
Senator Hanson has not fronted the media as she is suffering from a tick bite.
Senator Hanson (pictured with Mr Muller) said the documentary was a ‘hit piece’