No Hanson deal: PM

Morrison rules out sending preferences to One Nation at poll

PRIME Minister Scott Morrison has ruled out doing preference deals with Pauline Hanson’s One Nation at the next federal election.

Senator Hanson has denied whipping up hatred against Muslims following the Christchurch terror attack, in which 50 people were killed at mosques.

“There’ll be no preference deals with One Nation,” the Prime Minister said in Adelaide yesterday.

In a fiery TV interview on Monday, Senator Hanson rejected suggestions she had empowered white supremacists.

“That is a load of rubbish,” she told Seven’s Sunrise.

Labor’s Senate leader Penny Wong called on Mr Morrison to go further and put “right-wing extremist” One Nation and independent Fra- ser Anning last. “We know, as recently as the Longman byelection, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation was preferenced by the Coalition ahead of the Labor Party. Now that does need to stop,” she said.

The Opposition, Senator Derryn Hinch and the Greens have all condemned Senator Hanson’s views on Muslim immigration.

In 2016, Senator Hanson used her first speech since being re-elected to Parliament to say Australia was in danger of being swamped by Muslims. The comments echoed her warning 20 years earlier when she said the country would be swamped by Asians.

Senator Hanson said in a statement that Mr Morrison deserved to lose the election with his “knee jerk” reaction to preferences.

“If the Prime Minister feels it is better for the Liberals to flow their preferences to the economy-destroying Greens and Labor before One Nation, Australian voters will react,” she said in a statement. “One Nation has worked constructively with the Coalition Government for almost three years, while Labor and the Greens have opposed almost all legislation.”