One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson has reversed course to back one of her volunteers who was filmed in a scuffle with a senior Liberal frontbencher, just days out from a crucial by-election.
Ahead of the Farrer by-election on Saturday, Liberal Senator James Paterson was campaigning outside a pre-poll centre in Albury when he got into an argument with a volunteer for One Nation candidate David Farley, which turned physical.
The pair had been debating Mr Farley's party allegiances, following revelations the populist candidate previously tried to run for Labor in the southern NSW electorate.
The Liberals have been running campaign ads on Mr Farley's political past in Farrer in the lead-up to Saturday's poll, which the One Nation volunteer said was "defamatory".
After seeing Senator Paterson filming the interaction, the volunteer appeared to grab the phone out of his hand.
"Don't video me without my bloody knowledge mate," the volunteer said.
"That's assault, you've just committed an assault … you just grabbed my phone off me, that's an assault," Senator Paterson replied.
In an interview on Sky News shortly after the incident, Senator Hanson initially apologised to Senator Paterson and suggested One Nation volunteers would cooperate with any potential police investigation.
Mr Farley also condemned the interaction and said he spoke with Senator Paterson to make sure he was okay.
But on Thursday, nearly 24 hours later, Senator Hanson backed her volunteer.
"I'm going to meet that volunteer and I'm going to shake his hand, and I'm going to stand by him," she told reporters after flying into Albury in her new private jet, which was donated by party supporters.
"When I first heard about it, I was just about to go on air with (Sky News presenter) Chris Kenny, and I didn't get the full story. Since then I've been able to watch the full video clip of it, and I feel for my volunteer," Senator Hanson said.
Senator Paterson said the interaction should never have ended in a physical altercation.
"I'm happy to engage in spirited debate on a polling booth with anyone. It's a perfectly normal part of democracy, but things should never cross the line," he told Sky News on Thursday.
"It's appropriate when someone gets aggressive in a public place on a polling booth, to take a video to report it.
"I thought it was important to have a record of the exchange in case something happened, and unfortunately, it did."
Hanson's chief of staff, James Ashby, said Senator Paterson had been provoking the volunteer.
"I don't condone any action where things get aggressive and behaviour gets out of hand here, but James Paterson went into that rage baiting, he went looking for a blue," Mr Ashby said.
