Another secret recording that captures One Nation leader Pauline Hanson on tape has landed her party in further controversy.
The tape appears to reveal Senator Hanson was concerned about the public finding out who paid for a light aircraft donated to her party.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson was asked about the latest secret recording as she arrived at Parliament House to start her workday. (tue)
She was not happy.
"I cannot believe that you would ask me some stupid questions like that when I have had a gentleman who's been shot dead in his electorate, we have people homeless in the cold weather like this, we have the state of this country. And you're worried about that, from some disgruntled people? I think it's disgusting."
She was referring to the shooting of a Queensland policeman in the state's Lockyer Valley, west of Brisbane.
Fellow crossbench senator Derryn Hinch says her comment was unacceptable.
"Well, I think it was disgraceful of Pauline Hanson to drag the death of a policeman into her private problems."
The tape is the latest instalment in a growing controversy surrounding One Nation's plane and who donated it.
The recording, from November last year, captures Pauline Hanson on a call with her former party treasurer, Ian Nelson.
On the tape, she warns him the identity of the alleged donor is about to be made public in the media.
(Hanson:) "We've got word there's a story coming out in The Australian tomorrow, and they've actually been told that Bill McNee actually donated the money to pay up-front for the office for the year and the plane."
(Nelson:) "Who the bloody hell did they get that off?"
(Hanson:) "So they've already rung Bill and asked him, and he said, 'Yep, but I've donated to a lot of parties.'"
Ian Nelson gave the recording to the ABC's 7.30 program.
He has also reportedly been compelled to give it to the Electoral Commission, which is investigating claims that Mr McNee, a property developer, paid for the aircraft.
Mr McNee denies that claim.
But in the same tape, Senator Hanson says only four One Nation insiders knew of his name and alleged involvement.
(Hanson:) "Who knows Bill's name? No-one. We always kept it very, very quiet. Who knows that he paid the money up-front for the office?"
(Nelson:) "I have no idea."
(Hanson:) "No-one knew. There was only the four of us that knew."
Reporters later asked Senator Hanson again for comment, but she says she is waiting for the Electoral Commission to draw its own conclusions.
(Hanson:) "Waiting for the report to come down. I've no problem with it whatsoever."
(Reporter:) "But how could ...?"
(Hanson:) "So there's no conflicting, right? It's being investigated, so it'll be left up to the investigation."
The recording is the second covertly taped One Nation meeting released in the past fortnight.
The other recording captured chief of staff James Ashby apparently discussing a plan to profit off of the Queensland state election.
Greens senator Scott Ludlam says the stories suggest a party structure designed to make money.
"The lasting sense that I get from reporting, not just over the last few months but the last few years, is that it's a racket. It's not a political party, it's a racket. They're exploiting their own candidates. They're exploiting electoral law and the electoral system. As to whether there's criminality involved, look, I think that's the kind of thing that you leave up to the courts and you leave up to the police."
The Federal Police told a Senate inquiry earlier this week they are still considering whether there is enough evidence to investigate the tape involving Mr Ashby.
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