Scott Morrison says One Nation will be put below the Labor party at the coming federal election by the Liberal party on its how-to-vote cards, a concession following mounting controversy about his uncomfortable fence-sitting on the question.

The prime minister’s statement to journalists on Thursday morning follows rising internal pressure to distance the Liberals from One Nation in the wake of the Christchurch tragedy and the extraordinary revelations this week about the far-right party’s pursuit of foreign donations in exchange for efforts to water down Australia’s gun laws.

But Morrison refused to clarify the government’s position until he had the support of key organisational figures, which he finally secured on Thursday.

“I have been in touch directly with them today and overnight, because ultimately this is a decision for the party organisation, but my recommendation to them, which they’re accepting, is that One Nation will be put below the Labor party at the next election by the Liberal party,” the prime minister said.

Pauline Hanson suggests Port Arthur massacre was a government conspiracy Read more

Morrison’s decision covers Liberals, but not Nationals, many of whom are signalling they will do what they believe is in their electoral interests when it comes to preferences. The New South Wales election result suggests there is a strong protest vote gathering in regional Australia, with Queensland the epicentre of One Nation support.

The prime minister said his decision was “based on our strong view about the sanctity of Australia’s gun laws and to ensure that at no stage that those things should ever be put at risk”.

The prime minister said the Liberals, under John Howard, had introduced tough gun regulations and there could be no compromise “or any trading on the issue of those gun laws”.

Morrison said he had not rushed into the decision on preferences “in the same way that John Howard, who I have been consulting closely on this matter, in the same way that he, indeed, did not rush into this decision when he took it 20 years ago – I followed a similar considered process”.

The prime minister said he found the response of One Nation to the controversies of the week underwhelming. “I found the behaviour of those officials particularly appalling and I left it for a few days to see what the response of the One Nation leadership would be to those events and sadly I’m disappointed, and I find the response to the action of those One Nation officials unsatisfactory”.

Pauline Hanson declared on Wednesday she intended to take “all appropriate action” after her One Nation associates James Ashby and Steve Dickson were caught on video seeking a $20m donation from the National Rifle Association by al-Jazeera, but said she wanted to wait until all the material had been screened.

The second episode of the al-Jazeera documentary, which will screen on the ABC on Thursday night, contains footage in which Hanson implies that the 1996 Port Arthur massacre was a government conspiracy.

“An MP said it would actually take a massacre in Tasmania to change the gun laws in Australia,” Hanson told the al-Jazeera reporter Rodger Muller.

“Haven’t you heard that? Have a look at it. It was said on the floor of parliament. I’ve read a lot and I have read the book on it, Port Arthur. A lot of questions there”.

Morrison said the behaviour was unacceptable. “The linkages to Port Arthur, I’m sure all Australians would be shocked about”.

“I was shocked by them and, you know, these gun laws have kept Australia safe for 20 years and had led the world and it’s one of the Liberal party’s most proud achievements together with the National party and when it comes to this issue, we cannot allow it to be compromised or sliced away”.

“That’s not something we can have”.



