‘I don’t want to be here’: Andrew Hastie was a reluctant but ‘straightforward’ witness in the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation case
Liberal MP Andrew Hastie faced significant public and political backlash after being compelled to testify in the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial. Despite his reluctance, the judge praised his testimony as honest and straightforward.
Why it matters
The case highlights the intersection of military conduct, legal accountability, and the political fallout for public figures involved in high-profile defamation proceedings.
Andrew Hastie leaving the federal court in 2022 after giving evidence as part of the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP Andrew Hastie leaving the federal court in 2022 after giving evidence as part of the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP Andrew Hastie Analysis ‘I don’t want to be here’: Andrew Hastie was a reluctant but ‘straightforward’ witness in the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation case Ben Doherty The Liberal MP and former SAS soldier is under attack from One Nation after complying with a subpoena to give evidence in the failed 2022 civil case
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“I don’t dislike Mr Roberts-Smith at all. I pity Mr Roberts-Smith. I pity this whole process. I don’t want to be here.”
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