One Nation drama: Parliament House ban, blood-smear shock, sex pest claims

One Nation staffer James Ashby has been banned from Parliament House over a fight with former One Nation Senator Brian Burston, which broke out in the building on Wednesday night.

Pauline Hanson’s Chief of Staff’s pass was revoked on Thursday by Senate president Scott Ryan, preventing him from entering Parliament House, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Ryan came to the conclusion after viewing footage of the two caught in a scuffle after Burston accused Pauline Hanson of sexual harassment.

The video, which was filmed after the Australian Minerals Industry Parliamentary Dinner, appeared to show Burston trying to grab Ashby’s phone, as he filmed the senator and his wife leaving a function.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Ryan said the footage showed “inappropriate behaviour of a pass holder towards a senator”.

“I believe immediate action is necessary,” he reportedly said.

The decision prompted Burston to speak up, admitting he had smeared blood on Hanson’s door on Wednesday night, after previously denying the allegation.

On Wednesday evening Burston claimed he had no idea about the blood, suggesting it was Ashby who put it there.

“Ashby probably did it himself. I’ve got no idea,” The Sydney Morning Herald reports he said. “I don’t recall how I got back from [Parliament House cafe] Aussie’s to here [his office].”

The fight followed Hanson’s response to a series of allegations made by Burston, who claims to have been sexually harassed by the Queensland pollie on multiple occasions during his time at One Nation.

Read more: Pauline Hanson responds to sexual harassment allegations made by Brian Burston

The former One Nation Senator, who left Hanson’s party in June last year to join Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party, levelled the allegations against his former party leader on Wednesday, in an exclusive chat with News Corp.

“Right back when we had our first One Nation AGM at the Rooty Hill RSL (in 1998), that was the first time she hit on me,” he told The Daily Telegraph.

He told the news outlet that Hanson “rubbed her fingers up his spine” whilst they were standing on stage listening to the national anthem.

Senator Hanson has strenuously denied the claims to multiple sources since they came to light yesterday and a One Nation spokesperson this morning told Starts at 60: “The series of allegations by Brian Burston are vehemently denied by Senator Hanson.”

Burston also alleged that Hanson had more recently propositioned him at her home in Queensland and at a Canberra serviced apartment.

However Hanson told 7 News: “It’s an absolute joke. Absolutely nothing has happened. I might be 64 but I’m not that desperate.”

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