"Barnaby Joyce should stop wearing Australian symbolic items for his political advantage," Mr Hancock said on Saturday.

Mr Hancock established an online petition but closed it off after 30-minutes due to privacy issues.

He has since been inudated with emails of support.

"Many emails from mothers and fathers of daughters receiving their army cadet slouch hat," Mr Hancock said. "And all these kids proudly wearing their uniform and hat represent so much of what Australia stands for."

The family-owned, Australian hat manufacturer is the official provider of hats for the Australian Army.  Mr Joyce, who has been treated for skin cancer three times, is regularly spotted wearing a wide-brimmed version, even indoors during his time on the hustings through last year's New England byelection.

With this new attack on Mr Joyce, who is expecting a child with his former staffer following an affair, Mr Hancock wants to ''highlight the politicisation of Australian symbols by someone who many people have suggested does not represent such ideals. Barnaby wore the hat indoors, at inside formal occasions and has been associated with the hat to the extent its a reference to him in newspapers," he said.

"The Akubra hat has been worn by many great Australians, who first showed the world the loyalty, bravery and selflessness that Australians became known for. It carries symbolic reference to ideals that Barnaby Joyce has not, through his repeated actions and judgments, and generally putting himself first.

"[It is] a symbol to the people in Australia who put others first - instead of perks, private air travel, and the favours of being a politician who appears to care only for themselves and holding onto power."

Mr Joyce has previously said that he gives Akubras as gifts to foreign dignitaries and last year starred in a social media campaign for melanoma awareness where he outlined his reasons for always wearing a hat.

“Now you might think a hat looks a bit silly. But I’ll tell ya, when they start cutting bits of your body off, when they cut your nose off and your ears off to get rid of the cancer, that looks even sillier,” Mr Joyce said.

As well as Akubras, Mr Joyce - a Tamworth-born accountant - is a fan of R.M Williams boots and using stock whips at formal functions, including last year's Midwinter Ball in Canberra.

This is the second time Mrs Rinehart's son has spoken out against the Deputy Prime Minister.

Earlier in the week Mr Hancock called for Mr Joyce to resign from public office, saying he is "dangerous to Australia" and lambasted the Nationals leader for causing pain to his family and intervening in the Rinehart's long-running feud.

"He got involved in our family dispute and the judge condemned the pressure he put on us," Mr Hancock said on social media.