Jacqui Lambie has used an appearance on The Project to extend an olive branch of sorts to television nemesis Yassmin Abdel-Magied.
It was the politician's first appearance on Channel Ten's talk show since resigning from the Senate. She used the opportunity to admit she felt sorry for Abdel-Magied after the former Australian of the Year's infamous ANZAC Day Facebook post generated a media storm.
"I did feel for her," she said. "She was getting belted out there. I still don't think she handled it as well as what she should have. In saying that, she's still quite young and we learn from our mistakes.
"Sometimes when things aren't going that well, you need to pick it up yourself and you've got to change course. You're not [always going to] get it quite right."
Lambie's recent comments are a far cry from her heated exchange with Abdel-Magied earlier this year. The pair got into a shouting match on the ABC's Q&A program back in February over the meaning of Sharia law, and whether Muslims should be deported from a country like the United States.
"Anybody who supports Sharia law should be deported," Lambie said.
"Do you know what it is?" Abdel-Magied shot back.
A fiery Lambie insisted she did, and there was a lot of back and forth - complete with exasperated hand gestures - until host Tony Jones had to intervene and remind the pair that shouting at each other wasn't going to solve anything.
Thursday night's appearance also saw Lambie admit to host Waleed Aly that she could have "done better" when it came to criticising Sharia law.
"I might not have had a grasp three years ago," she told the Muslim broadcaster and academic. "[But] there is one law and one law only, that is Australian law. We can argue the point black and blue. Some will say it's very moderate. That's fine. No worries.
"This country needs to learn there's nothing wrong with bringing up a subject and putting it across the table and speaking about it - [while] respecting each other's views."
Lambie's admissions come after Abdel-Magied used an appearance on The Project this week to say her time in Australia was like "dating an abusive guy".
"I went from being, like, this young Queenslander of the Year and on all these kind of boards and councils and I was like the good Muslim girl, the darling," she said.
"Next minute it's like everything exploded. So it's surreal to look back on them and be like that was my year. I'm now someone with nothing left to lose and that's kind of amazing."
