Independent Australian Sen. Jacqui Lambie said One Nation leader Pauline Hanson had not contacted her directly to apologize over a cartoon about Lambie’s medical condition, distinguishing private outreach from Hanson’s earlier public apology.
The Parliament of Australia’s Hansard records that Lambie discussed the condition in the Senate on Aug. 19. She linked it to back injuries from her Army service, said it had affected her bladder and said she paid A$7,000 for surgery. ABC described the cartoon as making her vaginal prolapse its punchline.
Lambie told ABC’s 7.30 on Oct. 26 that Hanson had not reached her by email or message, or sent her a card. “Pauline Hanson hasn’t emailed, messaged, even sent me a nice little card,” Lambie said. Her account concerned direct contact, separate from Hanson’s earlier public remarks.
Hanson apologized publicly in an Oct. 20 interview with News24, saying the video “wasn’t as tastefully done as it could’ve been” and that she had asked its creator to change it. EconoTimes previously noted Hanson’s earlier public apology in its coverage of Australia’s planned parliamentary tribute to Helen Haines.
Mark Nicholson, the cartoon’s co-creator, also faced a question about apologizing. He co-founded Stepmates Studios, which produces cartoons, and is a One Nation candidate for Victoria’s upper house. Nicholson told ABC, “Not right now,” adding that he would apologize if he believed his actions warranted it.
ABC reported that the cartoon had been taken down by Oct. 26.
