Jacqui Lambie has accused Pauline Hanson of being a “coward” for a One Nation cartoon calling the Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie a traitor, amid a growing spat between the One Nation leader and the former SAS captain.
Lambie, a veteran and Tasmanian senator, defended Hastie on Thursday, after he called on Hanson to take ownership for a One Nation animated cartoon on social media in which he is repeatedly described as a traitor for giving evidence against Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith in his failed defamation case.
Senior Liberals also joined condemnation of the cartoon on Thursday, with the opposition leader, Angus Taylor, calling for it to be taken down.
Hastie has challenged Hanson and Nationals defector Barnaby Joyce to take responsibility for the One Nation video, promising a costly political battle.
Lambie told ABC radio the cartoon should be immediately taken down and that Hanson was now showing her “true colours”.
“What she’s doing in those cartoons is absolutely disgusting. They are full of bloody violence,” Lambie said.
“But attacking Andrew Hastie, a veteran that has served in our Afghanistan war, or any other veteran, is the lowest ebb you can possibly do. That woman is nothing less than a bloody coward.
“I tell you what, you’re seeing her true colours start to shine now. You watch this, the Australian people. Here comes coward Hanson … And any veteran out there thinking about voting for One Nation or standing for them, I tell you what, you had better think twice.”
Hastie is an SAS veteran and served twice in Afghanistan but has attracted the ire of One Nation and Hanson’s billionaire backer, Gina Rinehart, after he gave evidence against Roberts-Smith in a failed defamation case against Nine newspapers.
Hanson and Rinehart say Roberts-Smith is being unfairly targeted over war crimes allegations related to his service between ۲۰۰۹-۲۰۱۲.
Hastie on Thursday ruled out legal action against Hanson, due to Rinehart’s backing.
“I think it shows [Hanson] to be weak and glass-jawed. I gave her the opportunity to either own her words publicly or to take it down. She chose neither,” he told ABC radio.
“She’s not fit to govern this country. And she’s also cast a massive slur on veterans around the country who think that Australian soldiers should hold high standards of conduct on the battlefield.
“I’m not after legal action, particularly when she’s financed by Australia’s richest person. Why would I walk into a fight that I can’t win financially? But yes, I’m going to impose costs politically.”
Hanson again claimed she had not personally called Hastie a coward, despite posting the video on her social media accounts. Yesterday she told The Nightly newspaper that she would call Hastie a “wanker” instead.
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Taylor also called on Hanson to take down the cartoon during a press conference, and said it was wrong for it to remain online.
“Andrew Hastie has served this country with distinction as an officer in the SAS. She should take it down,” Taylor said.
The opposition leader declined to back Hastie’s description of Hanson as “weak and glass-jawed”.
Greens senator David Shoebridge also blasted Hanson, telling News۲۴ it was disgraceful to attack the Liberal frontbencher for giving evidence to a trial under oath.
“I disagree with pretty much everything that comes out of Hastie’s mouth, like his whole suite of policies are things that I tend to oppose … but for the life of me, I can’t work out how any political party can stand by an attack on somebody because they go into court and they tell the truth as they understand it,” he said.
“I mean it’s actually pretty fucking disgraceful to attack him for that.”
James Paterson, the shadow defence minister, said Hanson and her strategist James Ashby “should be ashamed of themselves.”
“I would never dream of accusing someone who has served in uniform for our country of being a traitor,” he said.
“There’s no graver accusation to make, particularly about someone like Andrew Hastie. Andrew Hastie signed up to the ADF after ۹/۱۱. He signed up to fight Islamist terrorists as part of the global war on terror. He served on the front lines in Afghanistan over multiple tours. What service has anyone in One Nation given that compares in any way, shape or form to Andrew Hastie’s service?”
