A heated exchange has erupted between One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and Liberal MP Andrew Hastie, stemming from a cartoon video posted on Hanson's social media account.
Dispute Over Social Media Cartoon
Hastie, a former special forces soldier, claimed in an email to supporters that Senator Hanson had labeled him a "traitor." He cited a nine-minute video posted to Hanson's X account on July 23, which remains pinned and reportedly calls him a traitor eight times. Hastie has called on Hanson and her party to either delete the cartoon or acknowledge it in parliament. He accused One Nation of politicizing court proceedings related to accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith and damaging his own service record.
Hanson has rejected Hastie's claim, stating she is "gobsmacked" and insists she did not call him a traitor to his country. She described the video as "satirical" and drew a parallel to comments made about former MP Barnaby Joyce, who was depicted as a "beetroot" in a past cartoon, suggesting Joyce did not object. Hanson told News24 that Hastie was making a "mountain out of a molehill."
Underlying Tensions
The dispute appears to be linked to Hastie's stance on Roberts-Smith. Hastie was subpoenaed to testify in court against Roberts-Smith and has spoken out against the accused war criminal. Hastie stated that neither Hanson nor Joyce have served "a day in our uniform overseas on operations" and that he stands with Australians who believe in upholding high standards for soldiers' battlefield conduct.
Earlier, Hanson reportedly told The Nightly newspaper that she would define Hastie as "a w
Barnaby Joyce, also implicated by Hastie's comments, denied knowledge of the cartoon and stated that any threats toward Hastie or his family would have nothing to do with One Nation.
Hastie indicated he would not pursue legal action, citing that Hanson is supported by "Australia's richest person."
The cartoon video, posted in July, was accompanied by a message on Hanson's X account that read, "DON'T BE HASTIE Albo convinces Andrew Hastie that One Nation is behind the abuse in his comments section. Hastie declares war, takes the Liberal leadership, and puts Angus Taylor in a coma — where Robert Menzies is waiting with a few words about the Forgotten People."