“One Nation’s – Hanson’s – attack on Andrew Hastie as a ‘traitor’ was one of the more appalling examples of political leadership I have seen in 30 years of observing and analysing Australian politics,” writes columnist ROBERT McMAHON.

Some weeks ago, I wrote about the recent electoral phenomenon that was Pauline Hanson’s ever escalating popularity with Australian voters. 

I proffered the view that rather – as many political analysts and journalists have speculated – her growing popularity was more than just a mere protest vote by Australians against the major political parties: it was a reaction to their growing lack of trust in those parties.

This a function of the current Albanese Labor government having so brazenly and repeatedly broken its tax promises and to lingering memories of the trickery of the Morrison Coalition government and the “maybe yes-maybe no” policy-making by the Dutton Coalition opposition. In these circumstances, voters have abandoned major parties and cast around for something – for someone – they can trust to be authentic. 

A part of Hanson’s current resonance with Australians – her perceived authenticity – is a tacit bargain with voters: a bargain that she can be trusted to tell Australians uncomfortable truths that existing political elites have failed to do so over many years. That is, despite those “truths” being wholly contestable and frequently inaccurate. 

Well, it seems, Hanson’s authenticity has been dealt a blow by her own hands in recent weeks. A misstep that, per those by mainstream parties, may hang over Australians as they continue to form their opinions about her trustworthiness to govern. 

One Nation’s recent action to publish an animated cartoon, featuring Liberal frontbencher and former SAS officer Andrew Hastie, in which it called him a “traitor” eight times may well serve as the moment Australians started to re-cast their judgement about Hanson.

In a none-too-subtle attack on Hastie, seemingly for his role in earlier judicial proceedings about Ben Roberts-Smith, the cartoon referred to Hastie as a “maggot” and a “traitor”.

While the maggot reference was unseemly, the “traitor” reference was another category altogether. 

At this point, it’s worth considering how Hastie was brought into the Roberts-Smith imbroglio; how, in One Nation’s construction, he became a traitor.

There by compulsion and under oath

In 2022, Roberts-Smith brought defamation proceedings against Channel 9. In those proceedings, Hastie – along with another 20-odd former SAS officers and soldiers – were subpoenaed (ie, legally commanded) to appear to give evidence to the Federal Court.

There, under oath or affirmation they did so. Indeed, Hastie was so uncomfortable with the situation that he said in evidence he “did not want to be there”. But there he was, by compulsion, and under oath gave truthful evidence of what he saw of Roberts-Smith’s conduct. 

Along with 20 other Army personnel. All subpoenaed. All under oath.

Roberts-Smith lost his defamation case and subsequent appeals, attracting the moniker (on the balance of probabilities) of having murdered.

In an ugly and unnecessary scene, he was recently publicly arrested by the AFP for allegedly related criminal conduct. Such has been the outrage at Roberts-Smith’s treatment that he became a poster boy for One Nation and those unwittingly associated with his proceedings – including Hastie – have earned One Nation’s ire. And, it seems, the tag of “traitor”; including, in Hastie’s case, a cartoon asserting it eight times. 

Notwithstanding that the cartoon ended with the written statement, “Authorised by Pauline Hanson for One Nation, Brisbane QLD”, and despite posting it on her own X (Twitter) account, Hanson later repelled calls to apologise to Hastie on the basis that she personally had not called him a traitor. 

It’s this sort of slippery, all-too-cute, “I didn’t say that myself” excuse that so fatally undermined the community’s confidence in Scott Morrison’s prime ministership and which has dogged the Coalition since.

Despite Australians vesting their trust in Hanson for her perceived authenticity, under pressure she reverted to the playbook employed for generations by politicians under pressure. Hardly authentic. And a good deal less honourable. 

And in circumstances where trust in her personal integrity has now been impugned, why would Australians extend her trust for that even bigger challenge – to exercise judgement about vast and detailed complexity in government?

One Nation’s – Hanson’s – attack on former SAS officer Andrew Hastie as a “traitor” was one of the more appalling examples of political leadership I have seen in 30 years of observing and analysing Australian politics.

It is conduct unbecoming of a political party or its leader. And it is conduct that may well come to feature heavily in the minds of many Australians toying with the idea of trusting One Nation at the next election. 

Dr Robert McMahon PSM is a visiting fellow at the Australian National University, adjunct professor at the University of Canberra, and a former assistant secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

There’s more to Pauline’s popularity than protest

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