Australia’s defence minister Richard Marles says One Nation’s “traitor” name calling of Andrew Hastie was “extremely tasteless” and has called for Pauline Hanson to remove a cartoon mocking him.

Mr Hastie, a former SAS captain, had publicly called out the party’s satirical “Please Explain” cartoon this week which called him a “traitor” on eight occasions for testifying against Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith.

Both Senator Hanson and her high-profile MP Barnaby Joyce had initially denied calling the Canning MP a “traitor” which prompted a further feud as Mr Hastie accused the duo of being “lying cowards”.

Mr Marles publicly defended his Liberal opponent’s service record in several media appearances on Friday morning — saying Mr Hastie had proudly served his country, insisted he deserved respect and “most definitely is not a traitor”.

Mr Marles said using the word “traitor” for a man who has “given enormous service to this country” was not just an individual attack but “an affront to all veterans” in Australia.

“It’s very much an affront to Andrew Hastie but I think it’s actually an affront to all veterans,” he said.

“I think to use that word in respect of a veteran is extremely tasteless. It’s an insult to all veterans.

“I very much honour the service that Andrew Hastie has given to our country. He deserves our respect and he deserves to be honoured.

“It’s distasteful, it’s inappropriate, it should come down and Pauline Hanson should apologise.”

Mr Marles’ defence echoed the sentiment expressed by the Returned and Services League who deemed it a “slur” and a “very, very serious claim”.

“No veteran ever deserves to be called a traitor,” RSL National President Peter Tinley said.

Senator Hanson hasn’t apologised but instead went further to call Mr Hastie a “wanker” for complaining.

However, after days of mudthrowing between the pair, Mr Joyce offered Mr Hastie an apology.

“Mr Hastie feels great umbrage about it. And for that, I apologise,” Mr Joyce told News24 on Thursday night.

“I don’t believe Mr Hastie is a traitor. That’s an absurdity. He’s not.

“Nothing to do with me, but I apologise, and I respect his service, like I respect my family’s service, and anybody else who served this nation.”

Independent Senator Jacquie Lambie, who is also an Army veteran, on Thursday let rip at the One Nation leader, branding her a “bloody maggot” and saying the cartoon was “absolutely disgusting”.

“Anybody that hides behind a cartoon and goes after a veteran and calls him a traitor, a paranoid traitor, and a washed-up, gutless maggot. I have to say you’re a bloody maggot yourself and you’re a coward,” she told News24.