September 8, 2026 — 12:01pm
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.
