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- A senior member of far-right Australian political party One Nation has has been caught on camera trying to secure millions of dollars from the US pro-gun lobby, according to a report by Al Jazeera.
- The series of events happened during an elaborate undercover operation conducted by Al Jazeera, where a reporter posed as a gun advocate to embed himself with the NRA.
- Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison has described the revelation as "deeply concerning."
A senior member of far-right Australian political party One Nation has has been caught trying to secure millions of dollars of funding from the US pro-gun lobby,according to a report by Al Jazeera. Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison has described the revelation as "deeply concerning."
The series of events happened during an elaborate undercover operation conducted byAl Jazeera, where a reporter posed as a gun advocate to embed himself with the NRA.
The journalist, known as Rodger Muller, set up a group called Gun Rights Australia, according to Al Jazeera, and started to get close to the main players of the NRA by claiming he was campaigning for Australia’s strict gun laws to be repealed.
Al Jazeera reports that Ashby, alongside Steve Dickson, the leader of One Nation’s regional branch in the Queensland territory, was "hoping to secure" up to AU$20 million ($14.3 million) in donations.
In a video published by Al Jazeera, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s chief lieutenant James Ashby is recorded talking about the potential to weaken Australian gun laws.
"Reports that senior One Nation officials courted foreign political donations from the US gun lobby to influence our elections & undermine our gun laws that keep us safe are deeply concerning," Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a tweet Tuesday morning.
The revelation comes as One Nation is fighting off suggestions that its anti-immigration, specifically anti-Muslim rhetoric, contributed to the Christchurch mosque massacre in New Zealand on March 15.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern moved swiftly to ban military-style semiautomatic and assault rifles in the wake of the killings.
There is no indication One Nation was successful in securing funds from the gun lobby. The recordings were also apparently taken before Senator Pauline Hanson strongly supported a crackdown on foreign political donations over $250.
One Nation has been contacted by Business Insider Australia for comment.
One Nation’s New South Wales leader and former Australian Labor Party leader Mark Latham said 10 days ago that his state branch supports Australia’s existing gun laws "100%."
See Also:
- New Zealand’s Prime Minister promises never to say the Christchurch shooter’s name
- New Zealand just announced sweeping new gun laws that may cost the country up to $138 million. Here’s how they will work.
- MPs vote to seize control of Brexit from Theresa May
Source: Business Insider –