Hanson denies 'traitor' claim after 'lying coward' barb

Pauline Hanson has rebuffed accusations that she referred to Liberal MP and former special forces soldier Andrew Hastie as a "traitor." The dispute stems from a cartoon posted by Hanson on her X account, which Hastie claims made him a target of multiple calls to that label. Despite posting the cartoon on July 23, Hanson maintains she never called Hastie a traitor and dismisses the claim as a "big, big problem."

Hastie accuses the One Nation party of politicizing court proceedings involving accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith and calling his service record into question. Hanson's closest ally, Gina Rinehart, supports Roberts-Smith and plans to name a veterans' housing complex in his honor. Hastie, who has not served overseas, stands with those who believe soldiers should uphold high standards of battlefield conduct.