Pauline Hanson’s decision to describe Liberal MP Andrew Hastie as a “traitor” has escalated a political fight in Western Australia, with the former soldier accusing One Nation of attacking his military service, integrity and loyalty to Australia.
A video posted on One Nation’s social media channels labelled Mr Hastie a “traitor” and “gutless maggot” over his evidence in a defamation trial involving decorated former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith.
Ms Hanson has refused to remove the post, saying it was satire. The attack came after Mr Hastie, the member for the southern Perth seat of Canning, emerged as a prominent opponent of One Nation during turmoil within the Liberal Party earlier this year.
Mr Hastie served 12 years and eight months in the Australian Defence Force, including two combat deployments to Afghanistan. He was among 21 veterans who gave evidence during the 2022 Federal Court defamation case brought by Mr Roberts-Smith against Nine newspapers.
Mr Roberts-Smith, a Victoria Cross recipient, had alleged that reports accusing him of committing murder during deployments to Afghanistan were defamatory. He vehemently denies the allegations. In April this year, he was arrested and charged with five counts of war crimes of murder.
The dispute has particular significance in Canning, where One Nation strengthened its position after an unexpected state by-election victory last month in Secret Harbour, an area that overlaps with the federal electorate.
Responding to the attack, Mr Hastie said: “Now I’m calling time on cowards who have never served a day in the Australian Defence Force attacking my service record, my integrity and my loyalty to Australia.”
He added: “I gave 12 years, eight months to the Australian Defence Force. I deployed twice on combat operations to Afghanistan. I left my wife at home, knowing that I might not return. And then to be called a traitor by One Nation … well, they’ve picked a fight with the wrong veteran.”
The comments have put pressure on other figures on the conservative side of politics who are seeking to challenge One Nation while also appealing to its supporters. Barnaby Joyce, described as one of Ms Hanson’s star recruits, distanced himself from the remarks and said: “Nothing to do with me, but I apologise.”
Mr Hastie briefly surfaced as a potential Liberal leadership contender earlier this year. His confrontation with One Nation has now placed him at the centre of a wider battle over the party’s ability to resist Pauline Hanson’s growing influence in conservative politics.
