Own it or delete it

On 23 July 2026, One Nation posted a nine-minute animated video, an episode of its “Please Explain” cartoon series, and pinned it to the top of Pauline Hanson’s X account. It calls Andrew Hastie, the Liberal MP for Canning and a former SAS captain, a “traitor” eight times, and separately a “gutless maggot”, over evidence he gave under oath in Ben Roberts-Smith’s failed defamation action.

Hastie answered with an ultimatum: own the cartoon, or delete it. One Nation has done neither. What follows is the record of who said what, and who, across every party, said it should come down.

01The cartoon

One Nation published a nine-minute animated video on 23 July 2026, an episode of its “Please Explain” cartoon series, and pinned it to the top of Pauline Hanson’s X account. ³

The cartoon calls Andrew Hastie, the Liberal MP for Canning in Western Australia, an opposition frontbencher and a former SAS captain, a “traitor” eight times, and separately calls him a “gutless maggot”. ¹⁴

The reason given is Hastie’s own sworn evidence: he gave evidence in Ben Roberts-Smith’s defamation action, which Roberts-Smith brought and lost, a court finding, on the balance of probabilities, that allegations he murdered Afghan men were substantially true. ¹⁴

Canning is the seat One Nation is now targeting. ¹⁴

02Own it or delete it

Hastie answered with an ultimatum aimed straight at the party that made the cartoon.

He put it a second way: “One Nation either needs to own this cartoon and defend it, or they need to delete it.” ⁴ By his own account, it has done neither.

“Today I’m calling them lying cowards,” he said, and later widened the charge: “I would say that Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce are lying cowards, and I’ll say it again so there’s no ambiguity.” ⁴³

He said the fight over his own name was not what worried him: “I’m not worried about losing my seat; I’m worried about being called a traitor.” ¹ Of the party’s response to his ultimatum: “They thought I’d just lie down and cop it; guess what, you’ve unlocked an achievement.” ¹

He set out what he said was at stake beyond his own reputation: “I love my country. I’ve served my country proudly. I’ve risked my life for my country, as have thousands of other veterans, and if I’m a traitor, then she should be calling them traitors too.” ⁴ And on the case still working through the courts: “How are we ever going to have a fair trial with this sort of politicisation of an issue so central to who we are as a country?” Ben Roberts-Smith faces war crimes charges; Hastie was a sworn witness against him. ⁴²

03It’s satire

Pauline Hanson, the One Nation leader and a senator, refused to delete the cartoon.

She added: “I don’t think he is a traitor, and I have the highest regard for people in the Defence Force.” ⁴ Asked to take the cartoon down, she said: “I’m not going to delete the cartoon. I encourage people, if you want, go and have a look.” ¹ Asked what she would call Hastie instead, she said she would call him “a wanker”. ¹³

Barnaby Joyce, the One Nation member for New England in the House of Representatives, offered a version of a non-apology. “I spoke to Pauline this morning about this, and she never called him a traitor,” he said, adding: “I had not seen it nor was I aware of it.” ¹ He said he had reached out: “I’ve reached out to Andrew last night, I’ve said, ‘Look, my door’s open if you want to talk about this.’” ¹ Of his own party’s cartoon, he said: “It’s got nothing to do with One Nation.” ³

04The revolt

Condemnation crossed party lines.

Jacqui Lambie, the independent senator and Army veteran, called the cartoon “absolutely disgusting”: “What she’s doing in those cartoons is absolutely disgusting.” ² She said: “Attacking Andrew Hastie, a veteran that has served in our Afghanistan war, or any other veteran, is the lowest ebb you can possibly do.” ²

She wouldn’t last one day in that goddamn uniform. Leave our veterans alone, Hanson.

She warned: “Any veteran out there thinking about voting for One Nation or standing for them, I tell you what, you had better think twice.” ² Lambie called Hanson a “bloody coward”. ²

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said: “Andrew Hastie has served this country with distinction as an officer in the SAS. She should take it down.” ² Nationals leader Matt Canavan said: “I don’t think it’s decent and honourable to post content like that.” ² Liberal senator Paul Scarr said: “I think it’s a disgraceful cartoon and it should be removed.” ²

05The play

This is the desk’s reading, not a sourced fact: character assassination dressed as satire, aimed at a man for telling the truth under oath, and aimed at his seat. “It’s satire” is the alibi. The cartoon is the weapon.

From the Opposition to the Nationals to the crossbench, condemnation was near-unanimous: Taylor, Canavan, Scarr and Lambie all said the cartoon should come down. ² The party that made it will not.

Hanson has not deleted the cartoon. Joyce says it has nothing to do with him. One Nation is contesting Hastie’s seat of Canning, and the cartoon remains pinned to the top of Pauline Hanson’s X account. ¹³

If it’s a rort, we cover it.