Tim Hornibrook: Union drops Katter support as recording claims Fraser Anning aimed to ‘hit nerve’

Fraser Anning was urged to be controversial by a former One Nation official before he gave a racially inflammatory speech that has also triggered warnings the union movement will abandon Katter’s Australia party over the controversy.

On Thursday Sky News played a recording purported to be of the former Queensland One Nation president Jim Savage telling an unidentified person that he and others had told Anning months ago to “say something really controversial, really hit that nerve” to draw attention to his first speech.

“We told him to do that and that is exactly what he did,” Savage said, adding they urged Anning not to apologise afterwards but instead “hold your fucking nerve”.

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Savage told Guardian Australia he did not recall the conversation but it “sounds like the sort of thing I might have said” after Anning’s speech, adding he thought it was good and he did hope Anning held his nerve.