'We were on the sauce': One Nation staffers blame booze and 'skulduggery' for gun lobby sting
One Nation operatives who were caught on video appearing to seek donations from the US gun lobby have blamed booze and the "skulduggery" of an Al Jazeera reporter for the events.
Pauline Hanson's chief of staff James Ashby and One Nation's Queensland leader Steve Dickson denied they travelled to the US to solicit money from the powerful National Rifle Association, instead arguing they were there to learn about campaign technology.
Al Jazeera published explosive video on Tuesday showing the One Nation operatives in Washington discussing how a sum of $10-$20 million would enable the party to seize control of the upper house and "have the government by the balls".
They met NRA representatives under the guidance of Rodger Muller, an Al Jazeera reporter who went undercover as an Australian gun rights lobbyist for three years.
"We felt that by visiting the NRA headquarters and learning from their experience during the Trump campaign, that would give us a better understanding of how we could better utilise the funds in which we have and also the skills in which we have, and technology that we've developed as well," Mr Ashby told reporters in Brisbane on Tuesday.
Of the video footage showing Mr Ashby, Mr Dickson and Mr Muller boasting about what they could do with funds of $20 million, Mr Ashby said: "I will be the first to admit, we'd arrived in America, we got on the sauce, we'd had a few drinks and that's where those discussions took place – not with any potential donors, no one but Rodger Muller, Steve Dickson and myself."
Mr Dickson said the three had been drinking scotches "for about three or four hours" after arriving in the US.
In their explanation of the incident, the One Nation pair repeatedly made reference to the fact Mr Muller was employed by a news network from "a Middle Eastern country" – that being Qatar – and alleged that Mr Muller was "a spy" paid to "infiltrate into Australian politics".
"This is the stuff you see in James Bond magazines. I would never expect you would see this for real in the real world," Mr Dickson said, adding that it was "skulduggery at its worst".
He also said Mr Muller seemed like "a very reasonable guy" because he "wore the Akubra hat".
One Nation party officials Steve Dickson (left) and James Ashby field questions during a press conference in Brisbane.Credit:AAP
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has accused One Nation of attempting to sell Australia's tough gun laws to the highest bidder, and described the party's behaviour as "abhorrent".
Laws passed after the duo's visit to Washington last year now prohibit foreign donations to Australian political parties greater than $250.
Senator Hanson did not partake in the trip to Washington but was aware of it, according to the Al Jazeera report.
Former Nationals leader Tim Fischer – who was deputy prime minister at the time of the Port Arthur massacre – said Coalition operatives would "have to be influenced" by the Al Jazeera revelations when it came to allocating preferences at the upcoming election. He told ABC radio that One Nation was a "contaminated product".
Mr Ashby, who is currently banned from entering Parliament House after a fight with United Australia Party senator Brian Burston, said the timing of Al Jazeera's report was suspicious.
"There's no secret this next federal election is fast approaching. I think the timing of this report that came out, considering we went to the United States in September last year – nothing could be more damaging for a political party like One Nation as what we've seen today," he said.
The One Nation advisor admitted he and Mr Dickson had been "caught out" but said Al Jazeera should release all the video footage.
"We will put up our hands and say this was an unfortunate catch out," Mr Ashby said.
One Nation party officials James Ashby (left) and Steve Dickson walk from a press conference in Brisbane on Tuesday.Credit:AAP
"Release the vision in full. Allow the people of this country to be able to see exactly what was said. The context that they have released is completely wrong."
Later on Tuesday the pair appeared on The Bolt Report and said they believed the did nothing wrong.
"I’ve not done anything different to any other political parties in this country," Mr Dickson said.
Mr Ashby told Andrew Bolt he had referred the Al Jazeera report to both ASIO and the Australian Federal Police.
Michael Koziol is a political correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
Rachel Clun is a journalist at The Sydney Morning Herald.