Andrew Hastie defies One Nation while Liberal leaders stay cautious
Andrew Hastie attacked Pauline Hanson over One Nation's traitor claims, but his party stayed cautious.
Andrew Hastie attacked Pauline Hanson this week after One Nation shared a cartoon calling him a traitor for giving evidence against Victoria Cross-winner Ben Roberts-Smith. The former SAS captain told colleagues in June he would "rather get taken out in a box than bend the knee to One Nation".
Andrew Hastie's attack exposed a split within the Liberal Party. While most Liberal MPs backed Hastie, leaders stayed cautious: Angus Taylor asked Hanson to remove the video but didn't attack her, and Tony Abbott said it would be "right" for One Nation to remove it.
Crossbench senator Jacqui Lambie called Hanson an "angry little woman" and a "bloody coward". Party insiders say there is no agreement within the Liberals on the Roberts-Smith issue.
- Former SAS captain, Western Australian MP
- Andrew Hastie
- Victoria Cross-winner
- Ben Roberts-Smith
- One Nation leader
- Pauline Hanson
Why it mattersIt shows how One Nation's rise in the polls is forcing the Liberals to choose between fighting back and staying silent, with leaders avoiding either choice.
AustraliaHastie's stand highlights growing tension within Australia's main centre-right party over how to counter One Nation's surge, as factional divisions and differing views on Roberts-Smith complicate Liberal strategy.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 49 min ago
