Grattan on Friday: it’s taken Hanson’s overreach on Hastie to put some spine into Liberals
Pauline Hanson is a woman who says she ‘doesn’t back down’. This week brought two high-risk demonstrations of heels firmly dug in to prove it.
Pauline Hanson, who had declared she would not back down, crossed paths with Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie this week. The high-risk demonstrations of their stubborn stances centered on Hanson's animated cartoon depicting Hastie as a "traitor" and Warren Pickering's controversy surrounding drug use allegations. The battle between Hanson and Hastie holds significance not only for One Nation but also for the Liberal Party.
As One Nation pursued Hastie's Western Australian seat of Canning due to his previous testimony in a defamation case, tensions intensified. Hastie's accusations against Hanson, such as "lying cowards" and "weak and glass-jawed," fueled their rivalry. The confrontation between the two political figures has altered the dynamics within the Liberal Party, prompting a united response against One Nation.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 5 other outlets
- Live: Hanson must explain 'silly' cartoon directed at Andrew Hastie, Liberal senator says abc.net.au
- Back to Back Barries: Andrew Hastie v Pauline Hanson - podcast theguardian.com
- Hanson brought a knife to a gunfight with Hastie — the only one who could kill One Nation crikey.com.au
- Hastie v Hanson feud shows no signs of slowing theage.com.au
- Hastie v Hanson feud shows no signs of slowing smh.com.au
