Media
|
Transcripts
September 10, 2026
PETER STEFANOVIC: The Liberal MP Andrew Hastie has drawn a line in the sand, it seems, by launching a full-on attack against One Nation and its leaders Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce. Now, Hastie has been on the end of countless attacks from One Nation and its supporters for months now, many personal attacks. But he believes its cartoon depiction of him as a traitor has crossed a line. Joining us live now is Shadow Defence Minister, Victorian Senator James Paterson. We'll start here today, James. Has One Nation crossed a line in your view?
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: Yes, they most certainly have, and I stand with Andrew Hastie. As the Shadow Minister for Defence, I'm conscious that I've not served a day in uniform - like Pauline Hanson and James Ashby and most of One Nation. I would never dream of accusing someone who has served in uniform for our country of being a traitor. There's no graver accusation to make, particularly about someone like Andrew Hastie. Andrew Hastie signed up to the ADF after 9/11. He signed up to fight Islamist terrorists as part of the global war on terror. He served on the front lines in Afghanistan over multiple tours. What service has anyone in One Nation given that compares in any way, shape or form to Andrew Hastie's service? I think they should be ashamed of themselves. And I think Pauline Hanson showed real weakness last night in her interview with Chris Kenny, where she refused to take responsibility for a cartoon, which is pinned to the top of her X page, which she authorises, which she provides the voice-over for. The cartoonist Mark Nichollson is her number one candidate in the northern metro region in Victoria in the state election coming up. She refused to take responsibility, but she also refused to repeat those words about Andrew Hastie. I think that shows weakness, and I think, frankly, she should toughen up and take responsibility.
STEFANOVIC: So do you believe that should be taken down as well?
PATERSON: Well, One Nation should either own it, accept that they've called a veteran a traitor while they claim to support the ADF, while they claim to support veterans, or they should take it down. They either endorse this content or they disown it. You can't have it both ways.
STEFANOVIC: So the alternative argument is freedom of speech. Has Andrew, in that sense, just got to cop it?
PATERSON: No, I mean, this is ridiculous. No one is suggesting that Pauline Hanson should be prosecuted for this. No one is suggesting that Andrew Hastie is going to sue Pauline Hanson or One Nation for this. We're just saying One Nation should take responsibility for their actions. One Nation should own their own conduct and their behaviour. And if they're not willing to own things that they authorise, that are at the top of their X page that they provide the voiceover for, that their candidates are the cartoonists of, then why should we expect them to own anything else either?
STEFANOVIC: Is there a contradiction here, though? I mean, because in this very week, you've got the Coalition arguing against the government's social media reform, citing overreach and protection of freedom of speech. Yet there's this demand from Hastie and now yourself too, in a way, to take the cartoon down. I mean, do you see a contradiction there at all?
PATERSON: Not at all, Pete. We're offering them two options here. They can leave it up if they're happy to take responsibility for it, if they are happy to own it, if they are happy to admit that they've called a decorated veteran of the global war on terror a traitor. But if they are not willing to do that, then they should have the courage of their convictions and follow through logically and take it down. They either endorse this content and own it and take full responsibility for it, or they walk away from it. You cannot have it both ways.
STEFANOVIC: So when Pauline says, it wasn't me, I didn't say it, it was said in a satirical cartoon, is there enough distance there?
PATERSON: No, it is pathetic, it is weak, and it is unprincipled. Pauline Hanson authorises this content. It is political content. At the end of every episode, it says authorised by Pauline Hanson, One Nation. So she owns this, she's responsible for it, One Nation pays for it. It is their content. They can't walk away from it if they're willing to leave it up there. They can't have it both ways.
STEFANOVIC: Is she a lying coward, as Andrew Hastie called her?
PATERSON: Well, Pauline Hanson said that she never called Andrew Hastie a traitor, but clearly she has. Clearly she has content on her own social media pages that does.
STEFANOVIC: So she is, in your view?
PATERSON: Yes. Yes.
STEFANOVIC: Let's stay with One Nation, James, in your state of Victoria. So, Warren Pickering confessed to a criminal past this week. Are you troubled by what he had to say, or are you with Pauline that a redemption story is a worthy one?
PATERSON: I was very intrigued by a comment that Pauline Hanson made last night on her interview with Chris Kenny. She said there's much more to come out about Mr Pickering, but then very quickly tried to pretend that she didn't say it and tried to retract it. I think that raises some pretty important questions. What are the other allegations that were made about Mr Pickering? When did Pauline Hanson first learn about these other allegations? What did she do to independently investigate these allegations and satisfy herself that they are not true? And why don't the Victorian people deserve to know what these other allegations are, given that Pauline has said that Warren Pickering is standing to be Premier? He's standing to lead the state. And now we learn, apparently, that there are other potentially serious allegations about him. I think Pauline Hanson needs to stand up today and explain what she meant by these other troubling allegations.
STEFANOVIC: Sure, so this confession and these allegations, I mean, are they becoming of a would-be Premier?
PATERSON: Well, it depends what they are, and we just don't know what they are. All we know is that Pauline Hanson appears to be aware of other allegations.
STEFANOVIC: I guess what we do know, you know, the criminal past, the drug use, I mean, can that be just left in the past, or do you think that that would, or should, stop him from becoming a potential Premier?
PATERSON: So coming directly to your questions, I have absolutely zero interest in Mr Pickering's sexuality. That is not a matter of genuine public interest. I don't care. I do believe that people can redeem themselves, and we are all more than our worst error in our lives. But if we believe in redemption, we also believe in being honest and upfront and taking responsibility for our past actions. And I don't think Mr Pickering has been throughout this affair because we know from the reporting in The Australian, when these allegations were first put to him, he responded via a lawyer and he said that they were all false. He then conceded at his press conference this week that many of the allegations reported about him were in fact true, including illegal drug use. So I think you can't have it both ways. If you want to have a redemption story, then you've got to get out in front of this, you've got to disclose it, you've got to be honest about it. And I do think that includes whatever these other unspecified allegations are that Pauline Hanson referred to on Chris Kenny's program last night.
STEFANOVIC: So just to wrap up here, James, does this all point to potential problems in working with One Nation in the form of any type of expanded coalition?
PATERSON: I think it points to the ongoing problems that One Nation has with vetting their candidates. They have real difficulty putting forward people for public life who are suitable for public office. They have previously put forward people who were wanted criminals overseas on sexual offences. They've previously put forth people with extremist views. Pauline Hanson has said herself that she's concerned that extremists have infiltrated One Nation. So One Nation's got a lot of work to get their own house in order before they start promising the Australian people they can fix the problems that this country faces.
STEFANOVIC: Alright, James Paterson, as always, appreciate your time this morning, thank you.
ENDS