Arabic version: أمة واحدة تدافع عن رسم كاريكاتوري لهستي مع تصاعد الانتقادات

According to ABC News, One Nation senator Sean Bell said the party had nothing to apologise for over a cartoon video that calls Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie a “traitor”. The video is pinned to the top of One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s X page and also describes the former Special Air Service soldier as a “gutless maggot”.

Bell, speaking to News24, said Hanson was standing by the cartoon and argued it contained “a lot of insightful things”. He accused Hastie of seeking conflict with One Nation, saying the Liberal MP had chosen this week to raise the video in parliament and in media appearances.

Hanson has refused to remove the video despite calls from politicians across the political spectrum for it to be taken down. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said on ABC News Breakfast that Hastie was “most definitely not a traitor” and described using the word about a veteran as “extremely tasteless”.

Marles said he honoured Hastie’s service to Australia and agreed with concerns raised by the Returned Services League, which accused Hanson of being “extremely offensive” to all veterans. He said the term was an insult to Australian veterans.

Shadow Home Affairs Minister Jonno Duniam also said Hanson must take responsibility for the video. Speaking to ABC Radio National Breakfast, he said the Coalition supported Hastie and questioned how a party could call itself pro-Australia while making such remarks about someone who had risked their life in service.