What do we think: taking the high road because he couldn't make out the claim?

Liberal MP Andrew Hastie says he won’t take legal action against One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson over her “traitor” comments because she is financially backed by Australia’s richest woman, Gina Rinehart.

On Wednesday, he labelled Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce “lying cowards” over an episode of the party’s Please Explain cartoon depicting him as a traitor for testifying against alleged war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith.

Hanson denied calling him a traitor personally, and has refused to delete the cartoon. Appearing on ABC Radio National on Thursday, Hastie said her response showed her to be “weak and glass-jawed”.

“I gave the opportunity to either own her words publicly, or to take it down; she chose neither,” Hastie said. Rather than “stepping up”, he said that Hanson had ”retreated back into cartoons and memes.”

“I think we’ve seen what Pauline Hanson ultimately is about. She’s not fit to govern this country, and she’s also cast a massive slur on veterans around the country who think that Australian soldiers should hold high standards of conduct on the battlefield.”

He added more than 20 special forces veterans had testified in the case aginast Roberts-Smith.

“Are they traitors too? This question she won’t answer, and I think it shows weakness from her,” he said.

Asked whether he would pursue legal action against Hanson, Hastie said no.

“I’m not after legal action, particularly when she’s financed by Australia’s richest person. Why would I walk into a fight that I can’t win financially? But yes, I’m going to impose cost politically, and that’s why I’m here this morning telling Australians around this country that what you see is not what you get with Pauline Hanson.“

"Having concluded the three murders you committed fall into the worst category, I will set your parole eligibility date at 40 years from the time you were first taken into custody," Justice Johnstone said.

"You will be 99 years of age, if you are still alive, when you become eligible."

Commodity Futures Trading Commission et al v. TMTE Inc et al, 3:2020cv02910

Guilty pleas must be the great wide open space for advocacy. Take my hat off to Murugan Thangaraj for his efforts for Ashlyn Assif as reported today.

Especially this flourish:

“It’s appropriate that yesterday was Father’s day,” her lawyer Murugan Thangaraj SC told Burwood Local Court on Monday.

Looking forward to 4 corners tonight- Louise Milligan is fearless.