Pauline Hanson says Ben Roberts-Smith One Nation rumours are ‘rubbish’

Pauline Hanson has rubbished rumours she would try and convince Ben Roberts-Smith to run as a One Nation candidate against Andrew Hastie in Canning at the next Federal election.

“It’s rubbish. Just dumb,” Ms Hanson told The Sunday Times. “I myself have been through the court system in a criminal case, and it’s very stressful.

“Why the hell would I put any more pressure on that man (Ben Roberts-Smith), given what he and his family are going through, by advocating for him to stand for a seat?”

“I’ve got more respect for the man than that.”

Australia’s most decorated soldier, Roberts-Smith was last month charged with war crimes.

The former Australian SAS corporal and Victoria Cross recipient is accused of five counts of war crime and murder allegedly committed during deployments to Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012.

Ms Hanson will speak at a rally on Sunday in Brisbane in support of Mr Roberts-Smith.

“I think it’s disgusting for them to charge him now after 17 years — to try and find the evidence (to convict him),” she said. “And a lot of it is hearsay.

“He is a war hero in my eyes and always will be a war hero. What they have done to him has also devastated a lot of defence personnel.”

Ms Hanson said several defence personnel had handed in their medals at her office in protest to what had happened to Mr Roberts-Smith.

“A couple of them have dropped off their medals at my office,” she said.

“I said listen (to one), listen mate, I’m just looking after them for you until one day you want them back — to hand to your children and grandchildren.”

Ms Hanson has declared Canning as one seat she will target at the next Federal election.

Mr Hastie served alongside Mr Roberts-Smith in Afghanistan and was amongst several former and current SAS soldiers who in 2022 gave evidence in a defamation case against Nine newspapers.

Mr Roberts-Smith lost his defamation trial.