Australian Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie has escalated his attack on One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, accusing her of hiding behind satire after a party cartoon repeatedly labelled him a “traitor”.
The former special forces soldier called Ms Hanson and One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce “lying cowards” and challenged them to either stand by the accusation or remove the video, which remains pinned to Ms Hanson’s X account.
The animated clip, titled Don’t be Hastie, refers to Mr Hastie’s evidence in the defamation case brought by decorated former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith. It uses the word “traitor” eight times and also describes the Liberal MP as a “gutless maggot”.
Mr Hastie told ABC Radio on Thursday that Ms Hanson’s refusal to delete the video showed she was “weak and glass-jawed” and unfit to become prime minister.
“I gave the opportunity to either own her words publicly, or to take it down, she chose neither,” he said.
“Rather than stepping up as a leader, she claims she could be prime minister, she actually retreated back into cartoons and memes. So I think we’ve seen what Pauline Hanson ultimately is about. She’s not fit to govern this country.”
Hanson rejects ‘traitor’ accusation
Ms Hanson has denied personally calling Mr Hastie a traitor, describing the video as a satirical cartoon and accusing him of making “a mountain out of a molehill”. She has refused to remove it.
She has also disputed Mr Hastie’s account of the video, saying it was not about his involvement in the Roberts-Smith case but his decision to support hate-speech laws introduced after the Bondi beach terrorist attack.
Mr Joyce backed Ms Hanson’s denial, saying he had never called Mr Hastie a traitor or made any statement approaching that allegation.
“I absolutely respect the services given to our nation, like my family, has given to the service of New Zealand and Australia,” he told reporters in Canberra. “Democracy’s a robust thing.”
Mr Hastie’s dispute with One Nation has been running since he was subpoenaed to give evidence during the 2022 trial involving Mr Roberts-Smith, who has denied allegations of war crimes.
The Liberal MP said the cartoon amounted to a “massive slur” against veterans who had given evidence under oath and accused One Nation of politicising the court proceedings while attacking his military record.
He has ruled out legal action against Ms Hanson, citing the financial backing available to her from mining billionaire Gina Rinehart, a supporter of Mr Roberts-Smith who has named a planned veterans’ housing development in his honour.
Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie, herself a former army member, condemned the video and defended Mr Hastie.
“Attacking Andrew Hastie, a veteran that has served in our Afghanistan war, or any other veteran, is the lowest ebb you can possibly do,” she told ABC Radio.
Mr Hastie said he had endured months of criticism from One Nation and rejected suggestions that he had been drawn into a political trap.
“I’ve already taken five months of abuse from these people, and this week is about drawing a line under it all,” he said.
