Hastie comes at One Nation for ‘picking a fight with the wrong veteran’

Liberal leadership aspirant Andrew Hastie has defended testifying in accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith’s failed defamation action against this masthead, branding One Nation and his critics who had never served their country “cowards”.

The former SAS captain has re-engaged with the populist minor party as he sits in the box seat to take on the home affairs portfolio for the Coalition, and after One Nation seized a safe Labor seat that sits in Hastie’s federal electorate in a state byelection last month.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is a staunch defender of Roberts-Smith, who is now facing war crimes charges for allegedly murdering unarmed civilians and prisoners in Afghanistan between 2006 and 2012.

An online campaign supporting Roberts-Smith following the criminal charges has put Hastie in its sights, forcing him to upgrade his personal security. He has accused One Nation of fomenting online hate and trolling.

Hastie told the Federal Court in 2022 that it was a “fairly well-established rumour” that Roberts-Smith had kicked a person under the control of Australian troops off a cliff in Afghanistan, and had a reputation as a bully among the ranks.

The Canning MP said in a newsletter to his supporters on Tuesday the minor party had “picked a fight with the wrong veteran” after labelling him a traitor for testifying in the Roberts-Smith case.

“I’m calling time on cowards who have never served a day in the Australian Defence Force attacking my service record, my integrity, and my loyalty to Australia,” he said, adding he was subpoenaed and legally required to testify.

“One Nation are working to unseat me because they don’t believe in the rule of law, nor do they believe in holding Australian soldiers to high standards of battlefield conduct.”

Hastie said he had testified alongside more than 20 other combat veterans and SAS witnesses.

“For that, I’ve been called a rat, a traitor, a dog c—, and many other things,” he said.

Hastie has developed a reputation for taking the fight to One Nation, though last month signalled for the first time he could lose at the next election and said he hoped to receive the minor party’s preferences.

He is considered Opposition Leader Angus Taylor’s main rival after he was pressured to step aside before Taylor took the leadership from Sussan Ley earlier this year.

Speculation over who would succeed Jonno Duniam as opposition home affairs spokesman has ramped up after the senator on Sunday brought forward his exit date to within the “next month or two”, but several of Hastie’s colleagues have questioned whether he wants the high-profile role.

Six Liberal MPs contacted by this masthead, who asked not to be named so they could detail internal discussions, all suggested Hastie was the best fit for home affairs, but sounded a note of caution over whether it might happen.

“I think they [Taylor’s supporters], they’re trying to get him [Hastie] back on the field and firing on all cylinders, they’re trying to entice him back,” one MP said.

A second MP said that Hastie was “the logical choice, particularly given the role has been bulked up. It’s just a question of whether he wants it. I don’t think Gus has turned his mind to it yet, he was hoping Jonno would stay until the end of year”.

A third MP suggested Hastie was the logical choice, but “I’m not sure that he wants it”.

Hastie declined to comment.

Hastie previously held the Home Affairs position under former Liberal leader Sussan Ley but quit after four months, claiming he had been shut out from a meaningful role in developing immigration policy. He has previously indicated he wanted to broaden his credentials with an economics portfolio.

Duniam’s exit and the likely elevation of Hastie means Taylor will have to promote someone to fill Hastie’s industry and sovereign capability post in shadow cabinet.

Five members of the outer ministry – Tony Pasin, Aaron Violi, Angie Bell, James McGrath and Matt O’Sullivan – all have a claim to the final spot in shadow cabinet, while allies of assistant shadow minister Garth Hamilton are lobbying on his behalf because of his willingness to take on One Nation.

Taylor, according to allies, would prefer to wait until after parliament rises at the end of the year to unveil his revamped frontbench, and intends to keep the changes to a minimum to avoid making new enemies. But the earlier-than-expected exit of Duniam, who had said he would leave by the end of the year, has brought the timeline forward.

The changes to Taylor’s frontbench come after shadow finance minister Claire Chandler recently began maternity leave, a vacancy which will be filled by deputy leader Jane Hume.

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Brittany Busch is a federal politics reporter for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.James Massola is Chief Political Commentator. He has previously been National Affairs
Editor and South-East Asia Correspondent, and has won Quill and Kennedy awards and is the 2026 Press Gallery Journalist of the Year. Connect securely on Signal @jamesmassola.01Connect via X or email.AdvertisementAdvertisement