Lambie calls Hanson a 'coward' amid growing storm over political cartoon

Independent senator Jacqui Lambie has branded Pauline Hanson a "coward" over a One Nation cartoon labelling Liberal MP Andrew Hastie a "traitor" for giving evidence against former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith.

Hanson's cartoon has drawn condemnation from across the political spectrum, with even fellow One Nation senator Barnaby Joyce saying he did not consider defence veteran Hastie a traitor.

Lambie, herself a veteran, said the video is an attack on all who have served.

The video is part of a political cartoon series created by One Nation titled Please Explain, which periodically targets politicians from various parties while promoting One Nation.

"She should remove that one of Hastie down right now today," Lambie told ABC Radio National on Thursday morning.

"Any veteran out there thinking about voting for One Nation or standing for them, I tell you what, you had better think twice."

Hastie was among several former SAS soldiers who gave evidence during Roberts-Smith's defamation case in 2022, which the decorated former soldier ultimately lost.

Pauline Hanson says she won't take down video

Lambie's comments echo Hastie's from earlier this week.

On Wednesday, he told News24 that Hanson should "own" the cartoon, acknowledge it called him a "traitor" and remove it.

In an interview on Wednesday evening, Hanson refused to take down the video and accused Hastie of making a "mountain out of a molehill".

As at the time of publication, the nine-minute video from July remains online.

She told News24 that Hastie has "his knickers in a knot".

"I'm not calling him a traitor to his country," she said. "I never said that."

"It is a satirical cartoon for Christ's sake."

Hastie has called on Hanson and One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce "lying cowards" and has challenged the party to remove the video.

"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.

He accused the party of politicising the court proceedings of Roberts-Smith and "trashing" his own service record.

Hastie said the video amounted to a broader attack on veterans who testified in the case.

"It's actually an attack on veterans, not just an attack on me, because you've got to remember more than 20-plus SAS combat veterans were called to give evidence in the Federal Court. Are they traitors too?," he said.

Joyce said he was not aware of the One Nation cartoon but respected Hastie's military service.

"I'm disappointed he thinks I'm a coward. I don't know how he came to that opinion, but that's up to him. I don't think he's a traitor," Joyce told reporters outside of parliament on Thursday.

"I absolutely respect the services given to our nation."

Cross-party condemnation

Other politicians have also criticised Hanson for the video.

Opposition defence spokesperson James Paterson said Hanson was weak for failing to take responsibility for the video.

"She refused to take responsibility for a cartoon, which is pinned to the top of her X page, which she authorises, which she provides the voiceover for … she refused to take responsibility," he told News24.

Greens senator David Shoebridge, admitting he typically disagrees with "everything that comes out of Hastie's mouth", defended the veteran's appearance in the Roberts-Smith defamation trial.

"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 told News24.

"I mean, it's actually pretty f-----g disgraceful to attack him for that."

— With reporting by the Australian Associated Press.

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