Pauline Hanson concedes One Nation video mocking Jacqui Lambie’s prolapsed vagina needs to be changed

One Nation’s leader, Pauline Hanson, says she has asked for a controversial cartoon video that mocked Jacqui Lambie’s health issues to be changed, after widespread condemnation.

The latest cartoon, part of Pauline Hanson’s Please Explain series, depicts the army veteran as saying “I can’t laugh because of my prolapsed vagina,” before adding a crude sound effect ridiculing the health condition.

On Tuesday, Hanson said she had not been aware of the content of the video before it was posted, despite telling Lambie to “have a bit of a laugh” 24 hours earlier.

“The video went up without my actually seeing it, and I was not aware of the content of the video,” Hanson told News24.

“I have spoken to the creator of that video, I’ve asked him to actually change it, and I respect people’s views and opinions out there, and it wasn’t as tastefully done as it could have been, and I do apologise for that. And I’ve already spoken to them about it and changed that.”

In an emotional address in the upper house in August, Lambie spoke of her struggles with vaginal prolapse and the lack of access to care faced by other female veterans.

On Monday, Lambie said going public with her condition did not make her health “fair game”.

Hanson initially told Lambie to laugh and “lighten up” over the video and said the cartoon might have brought awareness to the condition. “Jacqui Lambie, get over it … it is actually satirical, and I think she’s taken a heart in which she shouldn’t be,” Hanson said on Monday.

“Have a good look at it, have a bit of a laugh, Jacqui, and lighten up.”

But on Tuesday, the One Nation leader conceded the videos bear her name and said she would “have a closer look” over future cartoons.

“It does bear my name, and I’ve got to take responsibility for that, and I accept that. But this episode, I think that it needs to be reined [in], yes, by all means.”

Hanson drew criticism from politicians including the independent David Pocock, who wrote on social media in support of Lambie: “Thank you for your courage which will help others #respect”.

Another Please Explain video came under fire recently after it labelled Liberal frontbencher and former SAS soldier Andrew Hastie a “traitor” after he gave evidence against the Victoria Cross-winner Ben Roberts-Smith in a failed defamation trial.

Hanson had refused to apologise to Hastie over that video and refused to take the video down. She told critics, including Lambie who had backed the senior Liberal, to “take a chill pill”.