Libs may die if migration not cut: Hastie
Andrew Hastie has warned his party could ‘die as a political movement’ unless it takes a harder line on immigration, as leadership speculation intensifies.
Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie has doubled down on his populist campaign and demanded a crackdown on immigration, as fellow conservative Jacinta Nampijinpa Price publicly endorsed him as a future Liberal leader.
As WA Liberal leader Basil Zempilas sidestepped questions on whether Mr Hastie was setting the stage for a leadership tilt, Mr Hastie used social media to warn that the future of his party could be at risk if it didn’t take action to reduce immigration.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Hastie said many young Australians had lost hope of owning a home because of what he said was an explosion in net overseas migration to Australia. “In the last two years, we’ve added nearly a million extra people to our population. Australians are feeling the impact of Labor’s immigration policy,” he said.
“We’re starting to feel like strangers in our own home.”
He said services such as schools and hospitals were stretched thin and Australians were locked out of the housing market, and said “unsustainable immigration” was driving a housing demand crisis.
“The Liberal Party will be in exile for a long time until we act in the interests of the Australian people. That means getting immigration to a sustainable level,” he said. “If we don’t act, we can expect anger and frustration. We might even die as a political movement. So be it.”
Mr Hastie’s decision to explicitly link immigration policy to his party’s future followed his public commitment earlier this month to quit the opposition frontbench if the party decides to stick with a net-zero policy. His increasingly vocal commentary around issues including net zero, manufacturing and now immigration – as well as his open aspirations to one day lead the party – has fed ongoing chatter around his plans.
Senator Price – who this month was dumped from the shadow ministry after she refused to endorse Sussan Ley’s leadership – on Wednesday told 2GB that Mr Hastie would make “a remarkable leader one day”.
She said Mr Hastie’s critics inside the party would see him as a threat “because he is so good at what he does”.
While some of Mr Hastie’s closest supporters have downplayed the likelihood of any leadership push in the near term, others in both the Liberal and Labor parties are increasingly expecting the issue to come to a head before the end of the year.
As speculation over Mr Hastie’s intentions continues, The Australian has confirmed that the Opposition Leader will return to Perth in coming weeks.
The persistent talk about Mr Hastie has complicated matters not only for Ms Ley, but also Mr Zempilas. Mr Hastie earlier this year criticised Mr Zempilas after the former television personality declined to endorse Mr Hastie’s motion at a Liberal state council for the party to abandon net zero.
The apparent conflict between the pair would become even more complicated in the event Mr Hastie became the federal leader, but on Wednesday Mr Zempilas refused to bite on questions about whether Mr Hastie was setting the stage for a leadership tilt.
“I’ve been very careful not to provide a running commentary on what the member for Canning has been saying,” Mr Zempilas told 6PR. “Andrew is a passionate and very successful member for the seat of Canning. I know his commitment to represent his people in the parliament.”
While Mr Zempilas avoided the question, plenty of people in both the Liberals and Labor are contemplating it.
Queensland conservative MPs Garth Hamilton and Henry Pike this week endorsed Mr Hastie as a leader, saying he offered clarity and a compelling vision.
One WA Liberal source said they expected Mr Hastie to push for the leadership “earlier than expected” and that he would get it.
A Labor insider, meanwhile, said they expected the former SAS soldier to launch his push for the leadership before the year is out. The Labor source noted Mr Hastie’s social media criticism of colleagues who were quoted anonymously in The Australian as “cowards”, saying Mr Hastie would himself appear “gutless” if he did not now go ahead with a crack at the leadership.
“It feels like Andrew Hastie has got a head of steam up that’s not necessarily going to work out well for him,” the source said.
But one close Hastie supporter downplayed the likelihood of a challenge. Instead, the supporter said Mr Hastie’s commentary had more to do with being unshackled after years under Peter Dutton rather than any attempt to replace Ms Ley.
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