'Despicable': parties unite against One Nation attack

Opposition leader Angus Taylor emerged as a staunch defender of Andrew Hastie, a former special forces soldier and Liberal MP, after Pauline Hanson labeled him a traitor in a satirical cartoon on her X account. Hastie's retaliation against Hanson included calling her and her fellow One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce "lying cowards," following her refusal to remove the offensive sketch.

The tension between the two politicians stems from Hastie's testimony during the defamation trial of accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith, a former SAS colleague of Hastie's.

The Liberal frontbencher's military record has been repeatedly highlighted by prominent figures in opposition, with Taylor and opposition leader Anthony Albanese acknowledging Hastie's service during the War on Terror. Labor minister Madeleine King and fellow army veteran Jacqui Lambie have also condemned Hanson's comments, branding her actions "despicable" and a "bloody coward."

Greens senator David Shoebridge called the attack on Hastie "f***ing disgraceful," criticizing any political party for standing by such an attack. The spat between Hastie and Hanson has intensified as the coalition seeks to counter the surge in support for Hanson's populist party, which has drawn much of the right-wing vote, especially in regional and rural Australia.