Liberal MP Andrew Hastie has alleged he was warned about incoming online hatred by a “senior One Nation official” months before he was billed for additional security measures.  

Mr Hastie, who has recently received additional security at his family home and staffed office, said he believed a wave of personal attacks online had been orchestrated.  

Asked by Sky News host Andrew Bolt about attacks on his character, the Canning MP said he believed someone was funding online hate.  

He said he was warned by a One Nation official. 

“I think there is something orchestrated online in the background. I think that there’s money behind it. I don’t know about the source of that money, but certainly it’s an area of reform, I think, because we have transparency with political parties, but there are actors online who are advocating political causes and we know nothing about who is funding them and why,” he said.  

“I knew this was coming though. I had a call from a senior One Nation official, who I won’t name for legal reasons, in the middle of April who effectively told me that this was going to happen. 

“It was in response to some of the campaigning in Farrer. And sure enough, a deluge of personal attacks followed online. So this wasn’t a surprise to me, but there are consequences to this.” 

Bolt reported following the interview that One Nation had denied running any specific campaign against Mr Hastie, and a senior One Nation official said Mr Hastie was not warned by him or others of a campaign against him.

Mr Hastie last week told Coalition MPs he had been identified for security upgrades after he was targeted by an online campaign.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke had rung him to inform him of the need for increased monitoring.

He has faced criticism from supporters of alleged war criminal and Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith. One Nation’s Pauline Hanson is one of those supporters. 

Mr Hastie was one of a number of former SAS soldiers to testify against the veteran during a defamation hearing preceding the criminal charges laid against Roberts-Smith.  

He said he was unsure what his critics wanted him to do during the Roberts-Smith suit against Nine Newspapers. 

He was one of several SAS soldiers who were subpoenaed to give evidence to the Federal Court. 

“People who have taken issue with me on that, I said to them, ‘well, do you want me to be in contempt of the Federal court? And do you me to lie?’ I’ll do neither,” he said.

“And so I gave evidence under oath, as was expected of me and I think we have rule of law in this country for a very good reason.” 

Mr Hastie also appeared to suggest he feared foreign actors had an increasing reach into Australian politics.  

Last week, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Director-General Mike Burgess said the nation faced a more volatile security environment marked by rising social tensions, foreign interference, espionage, terrorism and politically motivated violence. 

“Only recently the ASIO Director General at his annual threat assessment mentioned state actors conducting psychological operations online to divide countries. And this is something that we need to think about,” Mr Hastie said. 

“We don’t know who is running them, but I think it definitely deserves attention and people should be very, very critical and judicious of the information that they receive online.”

Mr Hastie last week responded to One Nation’s “declarations” of war and what he labelled a “relentless campaign of personal attacks” 

He quoted from ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu’s Art of War, which he previously displayed in Question Time in February, to warn Ms Hanson’s political outfit.  

“If One Nation wants to meet us on the battlefield, then so be it,” he said.    

“They should heed Sun Tzu’s wisdom to never press a determined foe. Two years is a long time in politics, and One Nation will be closely scrutinised.”    

It comes as Roberts-Smith was this year charged with five counts of war crime – murder over the alleged killing of five unarmed Afghan civilians between 2009 and 2012.  

He has publicly denied the charges but has yet to enter a formal plea. 

Mr Hastie confirmed earlier in April that he may be called as a witness in an upcoming criminal trial of Ben Roberts-Smith, who stands accused of war crimes.  

“I appeared as a witness in the federal court, in the civil case, and there’s a possibility I may do so as well in the trial ahead. So yes, I’m very cautious here,” he said.  

“When I’ve had to give testimony, I’ve done it under oath. And again, that’s all I have to say. I mean, there’s not a lot to say here.”