Pauline Hanson has rejected claims she called Liberal MP and former special forces soldier Andrew Hastie a “traitor”, saying instead that she referred to him as a “w***er” as she stood by a controversial cartoon at the heart of their escalating row.
Hastie told supporters in an email this week that the One Nation leader had branded him a traitor after a cartoon video was shared on her social media account.
The nine-minute clip, uploaded on July 23, is still pinned to the top of Senator Hanson’s X profile.
Hastie has demanded One Nation either remove the cartoon or formally defend it in parliament.
The West Australian MP accused the party of exploiting the court proceedings involving accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith for political purposes and of “trashing” his own military service record.
The spat comes as the Coalition seeks to blunt a surge in support for Senator Hanson’s party, which has split much of the right-wing vote, particularly in regional and rural Australia.
‘I would say that Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce are lying cowards, and I’ll say it again so there’s no ambiguity,’ he told News24.
‘And then: On July 23, at the top of her X account, she posted a cartoon … I’m called a traitor eight times … when you start calling me a traitor to my own country, then we have a big, big problem.’
Andrew Hastie (pictured) labelled One Nation’s Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce ‘cowards’
Pauline Hanson (right) and One Nation are targeting Hastie’s Canning seat in the next election
Hastie, who is seen by some as a potential future Liberal leader, said the video had cast a ‘massive slur’ on veterans across the country and that he would continue to call out Senator Hanson.
‘It shows her to be weak and glass-jawed. I gave the opportunity to either own her words publicly, or to take it down, she chose neither,’ he told ABC Radio on Thursday.
‘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.’
The One Nation leader rejected his claim, saying she was gobsmacked.
‘I’m not calling him a traitor to his country,’ she told News24 on Wednesday.
‘I have not said that. It is a satirical cartoon for Christ’s sake.
‘Barnaby Joyce was classified as a beetroot. He’s now part of the party. Did he jump up and down about it? So stop making a mountain out of a molehill.’
There has been tension between the SAS veteran and Senator Hanson since he spoke out against Roberts-Smith.
Jacqui Lambie has unleashed on Pauline Hanson following her attack on Andrew Hastie – calling her ‘the lowest bit of life’
Hanson denied ever calling Hastie a traitor, telling the Nightly: ‘I will call him a wanker.’
Hastie was subpoenaed to testify against Roberts-Smith in court.
Hanson denied ever calling Hastie a traitor, telling the Nightly: ‘I will call him a wanker.’
Joyce on Wednesday denied any knowledge of the cartoon.
‘I dearly hope that nobody is threatening Andrew or his family, and certainly not premising (threats) on anything to do with One Nation,’ he said.
‘It’s got nothing to do with One Nation.’
Joyce said he does not believe Hastie was a traitor.
‘I absolutely respect the services given to our nation, like my family has given in service to New Zealand and Australia. Democracy’s a robust thing.
‘My door’s open if you want to talk about this. I don’t know why he thinks I’m a liar. I don’t quite know why he believes I lied about it.’
Hastie said neither Joyce nor Senator Hanson had served ‘a day in our uniform overseas on operations’.
The war of words comes as a new poll shows Pauline Hanson’s One Nation is the most popular political party in the country – as the Liberals continue to struggle
Andrew Hastie held up a transcript of the One Nation cartoon as he called out Hanson over the ‘traitor’ comments
‘I stand with a lot of Australians who believe in the rule of law, who believe that Australian soldiers should be held to high standards of battlefield conduct,’ Hastie said.
Hastie said he would not take legal action because Hanson is backed by Australia’s richest person.
‘Why would I walk into a fight that I can’t win financially,’ he said.
Hastie denied he was taking the bait from One Nation following attacks and online criticism.
‘I’ve already taken five months of abuse from these people, and this week is about drawing a line under it all,’ he said.
Veteran and Senator Jackie Lambie called Hanson ‘the lowest bit of life’ over her attack on 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,’ Lambie told the ABC.
‘That woman is nothing less than a bloody coward. She always has been, and she always will be. She wouldn’t last one day in that goddamn uniform. Leave our goddam veterans alone, Hanson. She’s disgusting, she’s the lowest bit of life you can possibly come from.
‘You’re seeing her true colours start to shine now. You watch this, the Australian people. Here we go. Here comes coward Hanson.’