'I saw some pictures': Pauline Hanson tries to explain Port Arthur 'conspiracy theory'

Pauline Hanson has been in damage control after questioning whether the Port Arthur massacre was a government conspiracy, describing the pictures in a book that led her to make the controversial comments.

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.

In an interview with Andrew Bolt on Thursday, one of several journalists she praised for giving her “a fair go”, Senator Hanson attempted to explain her reference to “precision shots”, again pointing to a conspiracy book that questions details of Australia’s worst ever massacre.

“I had the book sent to me. It was years later that I actually read that book, and thought well, I want to know about Port Arthur, so I read the book. The precision shots, and the MP, that was actually in the book,” she explained.

“But precision shots? There were no precision shots,” Bolt replied. “Martin Bryant walked up to people laying there and shot them in the head, that’s not a precision shot.”

‘It was a blue book, not real thick’

The besieged senator explained that she “saw some pictures of him” standing far away from some of his victims – a reference to a theory long-believed by Port Arthur “truthers” who claim the gunman was a trained professional, not an intellectually disabled man who had an IQ lower than most 11-year-olds, and no firearm experience.

“It’s only what I saw and what I remember at the time, there were a couple of photos in the book, he wasn’t up close to all these people,” she told Bolt.

When asked to provide some details on the literature in question, Hanson replied simply “it was a blue book, it wasn’t real thick.”

She clarified her comments saying she has “no doubt whatsoever” that Bryant was the gunman, and that she does not believe the massacre was a conspiracy.

“I do not support any conspiracy theory. I do believe Martin Bryant murdered those people, and I am sorry for those families.”

Conspiracy comments ‘taken out of context

Senator Hanson insists her comments in the “heavily edited” Al Jazeera investigation were taken out of context and that her party would never try and “water down” Australia’s gun laws.

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

But Senator Hanson claims she hasn’t watched it, despite arguing the footage was an elaborate stitch-up orchestrated by the Qatari news network.

One Nation leader stands by Dickson and Ashby

One Nation’s Queensland leader Steve Dickson and Senator Hanson’s chief of staff James Ashby were caught meeting with who they believed to be 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.

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