One Nation Cartoon Calls Hastie ‘Traitor’ as Political Row Escalates

Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party posted an animated cartoon calling Liberal MP Andrew Hastie a traitor eight times, sparking a political firestorm on September 11. The video, part of One Nation’s Please Explain series, references Hastie’s testimony against Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith in a failed defamation case. Senior Liberals, independent senator Jacqui Lambie, and RSL Australia have condemned the cartoon as an attack on veterans and democratic integrity.

Why Hastie testified and what the court found

Andrew Hastie appeared as a witness in Ben Roberts-Smith’s 2022 defamation trial only under subpoena, compelled to attend court. Justice Anthony Besanko found Hastie was “an honest and straightforward witness” three times in his judgment. Hastie served with Roberts-Smith in the SAS but was reluctant to participate, telling the court: “I don’t want to be here.” The judge found Roberts-Smith was not an honest witness, motivated by guilt and fear of the truth.

The cartoon and Hanson’s refusal to apologise

One Nation posted the Please Explain cartoon in late July, depicting Hastie as a paranoid opposition leader manipulated by Anthony Albanese. The video calls Hastie a traitor repeatedly and describes him as a “gutless maggot.” Hanson has refused to apologise or remove the video, telling critics to “take a chill pill” and thanking Hastie for drawing attention to it. Jay Daniel Thompson, a senior lecturer in Professional Communication at RMIT University, said the rhetoric is “demeaning, bordering on violent” and described the video as “little more than a thinly disguised attack” on Hastie for acting with integrity.

Political backlash splits One Nation

Barnaby Joyce, One Nation MP, distanced himself from the cartoon on Wednesday, saying he was unaware of it and did not believe Hastie was a traitor. Joyce apologised to Hastie on Friday, which Hastie accepted. However, Joyce said he would not remove the video, calling it “beyond my pay grade.” Hastie responded that Hanson is “the only lying coward.” Tony Abbott, federal president of the Liberal party, called on One Nation to remove the cartoon, drawing a parallel to the ABC’s apology for offensive satire against Gina Rinehart.

Veterans and RSL condemn the attack

Independent senator Jacqui Lambie, a veteran herself, branded Hanson an “angry little woman” and called the video an attack on all who have served. RSL Australia said the word “traitor” is particularly offensive for veterans as it “sends a corrosive message to the wider veteran community: that your service can be recast as betrayal the moment it’s politically convenient.” Hastie told ABC radio that Hanson is “not fit to govern this country” and has cast a “massive slur on veterans around the country who think that Australian soldiers should hold high standards of conduct on the battlefield.”

Final Thoughts

The cartoon row reveals deep divisions within One Nation and has united political opponents against Hanson’s refusal to apologise. For investors and voters, the episode underscores how political rhetoric can weaponise military service and undermine institutional trust.

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