Key facts
- Andrew Hastie vowed to "go all the way" in his fight with Pauline Hanson.
- Hastie reiterated his accusation that Hanson is a "lying coward".
- Hanson refused to remove an animated cartoon describing Hastie as a "traitor".
- Hastie suggested One Nation MPs Barnaby Joyce and David Farley might regret joining the party.
- Barnaby Joyce defended his decision to join One Nation, citing concerns about the Coalition's perceived weakness.
- One Nation plans to target Hastie's federal seat of Canning.
Liberal MP Andrew Hastie has vowed to escalate his public dispute with Pauline Hanson, stating he will "go all the way" in their conflict. Hastie repeated his accusation that Hanson is a "lying coward" after she refused to remove an animated cartoon depicting him as a "traitor".
Hastie suggested that One Nation MPs Barnaby Joyce and David Farley might be experiencing "buyers' remorse" for joining Hanson's party. He claimed the party "centres on her" and that Joyce, who left a position where he was deputy prime minister twice, might question his decision to join "this rabble".
Joyce, however, defended his affiliation with One Nation, stating his "fear is that the Coalition tread water rather than find land, and lack the strength to make difficult decisions." He added that politics "is not a beauty pageant nor a reality tv show".
One Nation has been politically targeting Hastie's West Australian seat of Canning, which overlaps with the state seat of Secret Harbour that One Nation won in a recent byelection. Hastie stated it was time to "draw a line in the sand" by pushing back against the video, asserting that "weakness is provocative" and people desire strength.
Hastie dismissed claims by Hanson that his fight against her was an attempt to bolster his leadership prospects, stating he supports current Liberal leader Angus Taylor and should be judged by his actions.