Andrew Hastie lashes Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce over One Nation ‘traitor’ claims and name-calling
The former SAS soldier has issued an ultimatum after an animated One Nation episode repeatedly branded him a ‘traitor’ and a ‘gutless maggot’.
WA Liberal MP Andrew Hastie has labelled Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce “lying cowards” amid a fresh feud with the One Nation duo who he claimed called him a “traitor” in a string of social media posts.
The former SAS soldier was fired up in several media appearances on Wednesday, calling for One Nation to either “own it and explain why I’m a traitor and why other veterans are traitors, or delete it”.
“Yesterday I said that Pauline Hanson and One Nation had called me a traitor to my own country, and today Barnaby Joyce and Pauline Hanson both denied it. Today I’m calling them lying cowards,” the Liberal frontbencher told reporters in Canberra.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.On Tuesday, Senator Hanson denied calling Mr Hastie a traitor but called him a “wanker” for complaining about the One Nation leader declaring that her party wanted to win his seat of Canning in Western Australia.
Animated satire
Mr Hastie cited an animated web series created and published by the minor party called “Pauline Hanson’s Please Explain” which he claimed made eight references to the veteran being a “traitor” in an episode posted in July.
The Canning MP condemned the “slur” and added that he had also been called a “gutless maggot” in the episode.
He accused Senator Hanson and Mr Joyce of “trashing” his service record and highlighted that neither had “served a day in our uniform overseas on operations”.
“I love my country. I’ve served my country proudly. I’ve risked my life for my country, as have thousands of other veterans, and if I’m a traitor, then she should be calling them traitors too,” he told a News24 interview.
Ben Roberts-Smith
In the same interview, Mr Hastie also raised concerns about the “politicisation” of the case relating to former Special Air Service officer and Victoria Cross awardee Ben Roberts-Smith.
Mr Roberts-Smith was charged in April with five counts of murder — allegedly committed while the former Special Air Service corporal was deployed to Afghanistan. Mr Hastie has said he might have to give evidence in the case.
“There’s a legal proceeding underfoot, and they have politicised that to the detriment of everyone involved, including Ben Roberts-Smith,” he said.
“How are we ever going to have a fair trial with this sort of politicisation of an issue so central to who we are as a country?
“I stand for the rule of law, as does the Coalition.
“One Nation either needs to own this cartoon and defend it, or they need to delete it.”
By-election victory
It comes as Senator Hanson issued a warning to Mr Hastie at the next federal election, expected in 2028, following a thumbing win for the party in the by-election for the State seat of Secret Harbour late last month.
Speaking on News24 on Wednesday evening, Senator Hanson said she would not remove the cartoon from her social media, but that she respected Mr Hastie for his military service.
“Of course I do. I don’t think he is a traitor, and I have the highest regard for people in the Defence Force, and (people who) have fought for, and are prepared to put their lives on the line for this country, and I always have, and I always will,” Senator Hanson said.
“I respect him for his services that he’s done for Australia.
“But I have not called him a traitor, that was in a cartoon and that’s it.
“I’m not calling him a traitor to this country, he made that statement and I never said that. It is a satirical cartoon for Christ’s sake.”
