Latest news with #AndrewHastie
ABC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Liberal Party's climate policy a huge headache for state and federal leaders
Political parties are funny beasts, as the Liberals were reminded on the weekend. To win elections they need to appeal to broad sections of the community, many of whom only have a passing interest in politics once every few years. Former Liberal Prime Minister John Howard famously referred to the party as a "broad church" for voters. And yet the heart of the parties — the kind of people who, for example, show up to Saturday morning meetings years out from an election — are not always representative of broader society. Both Labor and the Liberals can struggle at times because it is those very people who help shape policies — and more importantly, party brands in the eyes of ordinary voters. It can create headaches when, for example, that core group votes to abandon a commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, continuing a debate which has dogged the party for years, as the WA Liberals' State Council did on Saturday. The group also voted to remove the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island flags behind the prime minister at press conferences and cut back on Welcome to Country ceremonies. The net zero issue has dogged the Liberals for years, with federal leader Sussan Ley setting up a working group to review the party's policy after its federal election drubbing. But the WA Liberals' State Council was not waiting for that review, nor was one of its most prominent voices who supported the motion. "We're part of a process," frontbencher Andrew Hastie, acknowledged on Saturday. "But I think it's pretty clear the South Australian division, the WA division, the Northern Territory division have adopted this position. "We'll see how the LNP goes in future weeks." The debate is shaping up as a thorny issue for Ley, who faces not only division between the party's membership and its elected members, but among its own MPs. In a sign of just how thorny the issue is, WA Leader Basil Zempilas had to spend part of his Monday morning defending his different position after attending the council meeting, but leaving before votes were taken. "The WA Parliamentary Liberal Party supports the status quo," he told reporters. "We are very comfortable with standing in front of the Aboriginal flag, we are very comfortable with the Welcome to Country and we support the status quo on the net zero targets." Party members who spoke to the ABC on the condition of anonymity to speak freely pointed out there was not necessarily anything unusual with that position. The views of the lay party — ordinary members who voted on Saturday — are not binding on elected MPs, who have the final say on the party's policies. Lay party motions are just one viewpoint to consider, they said. Also, they added, the motions were focused on the federal party, not the state. Which is all well and good, and gives Zempilas the ability to freely offer his own position without creating an even bigger storm. But it does little to solve the Liberals' key problem: the effect this splintering can have on public perception at both state and federal levels. Because the potential cost of this position is making it harder to win back the very voters who have deserted the party in recent years. At a state level, the party had bled voters to a more centrist Labor Party for a range of reasons, including it would seem the Liberals' drift further to the right on some issues. Federally, the cost has been even more clearly seen in seats taken by teal independents. The seat of Curtin, taking in Perth's leafy Western suburbs, had been as Liberal as they come until independent Kate Chaney swung the electorate in 2019 with a campaign heavily focused on climate. "I got the biggest swing in WA, five-and-a-half per cent. Pretty sure I got a strong endorsement," was Hastie's alternative view. For some though, there is also a view this issue is about more than just net zero, but ultimately the leadership of the party. While far from a universal view, there is little doubt having such a public show of disunity so early into Ley's leadership will only work against her prospects of staying in the job long-term. Hastie had been touted as a possible leadership contender after the May federal election, but bowed out early before Ley was installed. "I'd be foolish to say I don't have a desire to lead, I do have a desire to lead," he told the Curtin's Cast podcast at the time. "But the timing was all out for personal reasons." Politics is a game where little is done without an eye to the future prospects of each decision. Hastie, and others, clearly see some benefit in creating a clear point of difference with Labor over future climate policy. The question voters will decide in a few years' time is whether that is of benefit only among the party's core base, or helps win over electors more widely.
ABC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Labor and Liberals facing internal fault lines over Gaza, net zero, and Welcomes to Country
It's one of the most enduring political rules — never fight the last election at the next one. But the Liberals are already showing signs of missing this important memo in the new political term. Over the weekend, the WA Liberal Party supported a motion to abandon a target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, heaping more pressure on federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley to dump the policy. Delegates at the WA Liberal State Council also approved a motion to get rid of the Indigenous and Torres Strait Islands flags behind the prime minister at press conferences and cut back on Welcome to Country ceremonies. It is understood that both motions were carried with an overwhelming show of support when they were read out and without needing to go to a ballot. The behind-closed-doors meeting was held at a hotel in federal MP Andrew Hastie's electorate of Canning, and Hastie, a future leadership contender and rival to current leader Sussan Ley, said the motion was about sending a "clear signal" to Australians. But what is that clear signal? The most obvious signal is that the "sensible centre" Liberal Party that Ley seeks to lead and portray exists as nothing more than an illusion. While Ley sat on the fence on net zero when asked where she stood last week — a dangerous place for any leader to sit — she was positive about the importance of the Welcome to Country ceremony opening the parliament. It puts her at odds with many in her party who want to continue the culture war that derailed the last week of Peter Dutton's campaign. I say derailed because voters were looking for a clear economic narrative and vision from the opposition leader. Instead, they got served more of the same. The fact that these two issues — net zero and Welcome to Country — are becoming the defining fault lines inside the Liberal Party is all the evidence you need that the wars of the past are being fought again, instead of the party engaging with the issues that are defining the future. Labor, for its part, will tackle its level of commitment to Indigenous issues of treaty and truth, and criminal justice when its First Nations caucus meets this week in Canberra. There's a strong feeling in the party that they must not squander the thumping majority they have been delivered, with many believing that advancing Aboriginal rights issues needs to be revisited. A sign of Labor confidence after week one of the 48th parliament is a debate going on about whether the five Labor MPs who have been seated on the opposition benches because the party's numbers are too big have got the rough end of the deal or a sweet blessing. One told me it provides a "fresh perspective" on the house. They are now working on a name for their group of five Labor members. Latest contenders are "the Happy Bench" or "the CrossReds." Either way, it's a good problem to have. The issue many Labor MPs are thinking of as we enter week two of the first sitting fortnight is what more Australia should be doing to denounce the humanitarian horror unfolding in Gaza. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese released a strong statement about the worsening humanitarian crisis, calling on Israel to end its blockade of aid and immediately comply with its obligations under international law. The opposition said the statement was "one-sided" and ignored Hamas's role in blocking aid. But France's plan to recognise Palestinian statehood is changing the direction many think the government needs to take. Former foreign minister Bob Carr and Labor backbencher Ed Husic think it's time to change course. These prominent Labor figures are urging Albanese's government to join French President Emmanuel Macron in recognising a Palestinian state at a United Nations summit in September, in a bid to create momentum for a two-state solution. Yesterday, on Insiders, the PM poured cold water on the prospect of following France. But Labor insiders still hold hope that this position could shift if there is movement from like-minded countries, like the UK, before that September meeting. Albanese told Insiders a decision by the Israeli government to allow some aid into Gaza was "just a start" and more needs to be done. Albanese pointed to images of a starving one-year-old boy, saying, "It breaks your heart". "A one-year-old boy is not a Hamas fighter. The civilian casualties and deaths in Gaza is completely unacceptable. It's completely indefensible. My government has been very consistent in calling for a ceasefire," he said. "We have been consistent in calling out the terrorists in Hamas and saying that the hostages should be released. But we have rules of engagement, and they are there for a reason. They are to stop innocent lives being lost, and that is what we have seen." Albanese said he had been moved by the images of this "innocent young boy". "For anyone with any sense of humanity, you have to be moved by that. And you have to acknowledge that every innocent life matters — whether they be Israeli or Palestinian." The PM said, "we need to move to a longer-term" solution and he called for a two-state solution. Albanese previously said he had spoken to Israeli President Isaac Herzog to tell him Israel was losing support. "What I have said [to him] is that what sometimes friends have to say to their other friends when they are losing support," he said. "Israel is, I think, when you look at internationally, the statements that have been made by, including this week, more than two dozen nations combining to call out the lack of aid being allowed into Gaza, is that they need to recognise — they need to operate within international law. The message is clear: Israel is on notice from its traditional friends. The images of starving children in Gaza have crossed the Rubicon. Australians will not accept this. Patricia Karvelas is host of ABC News Afternoon Briefing at 4pm weekdays on ABC News Channel, co-host of the weekly Party Room podcast with Fran Kelly, and host of politics and news podcast Politics Now.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Major update on Aussie state's bid to BAN Welcome to Country ceremonies and Aboriginal flags
Members of the Liberals in Western Australia have voted to support the scaling back of Welcome to Country ceremonies. Delegates at the state council, the WA branch of the party, backed the motion for fewer ceremonies during a closed-door meeting in Canning, southeastern Perth, on Saturday. It was introduced alongside a proposal to remove the Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander flags from behind the Prime Minister at press conferences. Both motions reportedly passed without the need for a formal vote, with one attendee describing the support as 'overwhelming'. Attendees also reignited internal divisions between state and federal Coalition members by voting to abandon the commitment to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Canning federal MP Andrew Hastie, who represents one of only four Liberal-held seats in WA, said the vote was intended to send a 'clear signal' to Australians. 'We stand for something, we are willing to fight for our values and convictions,' he told The Australian, doubling down on the stance on carbon emissions. 'Energy underlies everything in the economy, energy security is national security.' 'If we're not getting cheap, reliable, affordable power then we're not going to be competitive as a nation,' he said. The policy shift has exposed a widening rift between state and federal branches of the party, with ongoing internal debate in the opposition over whether net-zero targets should be dumped. One senior Liberal source criticised the WA division's stance as out of touch with the rest of the country on the issue. 'It is evident that WA Liberals refuse to listen to modern Australia,' they told Daily Mail Australia on Saturday. But Mr Hastie has rejected claims, saying: 'Well I got the biggest swing in WA, 5.5 per cent, pretty sure I got a strong endorsement.' He also argued that attacking Labor's climate credentials could be a winning strategy. 'We export a lot of our coal and gas to India and China, both their emissions are growing... and yet we deny coal and gas to the Australian people,' he said. Nationals Party Senator Matt Canavan took to social media to welcome the move by sharing an applause emoji. The WA Liberals were nearly wiped out during the state election in 2021, reduced to just two seats in the lower house. They improved their position slightly in 2024, winning seven seats, but Labor continues to dominate with 46. The motions by WA Liberals follow a renewed national debate on Welcome to Country ceremonies, reignited by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson. On the first sitting day of Parliament earlier this week, Hanson and her colleagues turned their backs during the ceremony, which drew widespread attention. Defending the action, Senator Hanson claimed the practice had lost its meaning and become 'divisive' and 'increasingly forced.' 'We took this stand because we're listening to Australians, hardworking, decent people who are sick of being lectured to in their own country,' she said. A Welcome to Country is a traditional Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander ceremony in which the local custodians formally welcome visitors to their ancestral lands. While widely seen as a gesture of respect, its growing presence in official settings has become a flashpoint in Australia's culture wars.
News.com.au
22-07-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Mystery behind fake cop cars after another man is allegedly caught impersonating Chinese police
Fake 'Chinese police' cars have continued appearing in Aussie cities in recent years, leaving locals confused as to what's going on. The phenomenon has sparked fears of foreign interference and an attempt by the Chinese government to exert influence over members of the Chinese Australian community. But it remains unclear if the owners of the vehicles are part of a co-ordinated effort, or simply overeager supporters of Chinese authorities. 'No one can link it to the actual (Chinese) state, but it's certainly an act that intimidates the Chinese diaspora in Australia,' Drew Pavlou, a prominent critic of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), told 'It intimidates Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, Taiwanese - people who have moved to Australia to escape the Chinese regime. 'It's not fair to Australians as well, because it makes a mockery of our police and our legal system.' Shadow minister for home affairs Andrew Hastie said: 'Impersonating a police officer is a serious offence in and of itself, but it would be even more concerning if this tactic was being used as a tool of transnational repression to intimidate the Chinese diaspora in Australia.' 'ASIO has warned us that espionage and foreign interference are already at extreme levels, and it is no secret that the Chinese Government is the primary perpetrator,' Mr Hastie told 'There is no room for complacency in addressing these threats.' A car bearing fake Chinese police decals appeared in Melbourne in 2023, and two others were spotted in Adelaide and Perth amid pro-Hong Kong democracy protests in 2019. In response to the 2023 Melbourne incident, Benjamin Herscovitch, an expert on Australia-China relations, said the decals on the cars were so obvious that they were highly unlikely to be state-sanctioned. The cars would prove a 'huge liability' for Beijing, Mr Herscovitch told SBS News. 'From the point of view of the Chinese government, the benefits that you would get from having a car like this driving around the streets of Melbourne, are not big enough to justify the diplomatic kerfuffle and drama for the Chinese government that would result if something like this was traced back to the Chinese government.' Do you know more? Email Suburban Sydney charges In the latest incident, police arrested 21-year-old Kunlang Li at Strathfield, in Sydney's inner west, on Friday after he was caught allegedly driving a car bearing Chinese police insignia. Photos of the black Mercedes S-Class appeared to show the Mandarin characters for 'police' emblazoned on the bonnet, while the English translation was misspelt as 'poilce'. NSW Police also allegedly discovered firearms and ammunition in the car, and it was claimed Li produced a fake document claiming the car's purpose was to transport Chinese consulate officials. Li, who holds an active firearms licence, allegedly told police he believed the boot of the car was 'the best place to store his ammunition'. Officers seized the bullets along with other items suspected of being used to impersonate police. They later searched Li's Baulkham Hills home and also seized two gel blaster firearms. There is no suggestion that Li has any involvement with or connection to the Chinese state or Communist Party. Li was charged with multiple offences, including use display emergency services organisation insignia and drive motor vehicle with unlawful police insignia. He appeared in Burwood Local Court on Tuesday and did not enter a plea. He will remain on bail until his next court appearance on August 11. In 2022, a report by NGO Safeguard Defenders found that two secret Chinese 'police service stations' had been set up in Australia, including one in Sydney.
News.com.au
14-07-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Coalition home affairs spokesman Andrew Hastie says Australia isn't obligated to declare position on hypothetical Taiwan conflict
Australia is not obligated to disclose whether we would support the United States in a potential conflict sparked by China's hypothetical invasion of Taiwan, Coalition home affairs spokesman Andrew Hastie says. Mr Hastie, a former SAS commander, has lashed the Pentagon demand as 'unreasonable'. The Financial Times has reported Elbridge Colby – Pentagon policy chief and the man leading the US review into the AUKUS agreement – has urged Australian and Japanese officials to reveal their position in meetings. Asked whether Australia was 'obligated to clarify what our role is', Mr Hastie said: 'I don't think we are'. 'I think the US is ambiguous in its position with Taiwan. If that's the case they can't expect their allies to be declaring their position hypothetically,' Mr Hastie said. 'I know at the operational level I'm sure there's all sorts of war gaming and war planning about different scenarios that could occur in the Indo Pacific, but I think it's unreasonable for Australia to have to declare a position for a hypothetical.' However, he said Australia needed to be 'ready' and willing to work with the US to ensure we were 'intimately involved in integrated deterrence throughout the region,' something he said Anthony Albanese was 'failing' on. 'The US has made it very clear that that's what they want as well, and that's why our partnership is so important, and that's why the Prime Minister is failing, because he's yet to secure a meeting with Donald Trump,' Mr Hastie said. 'And he's yet to really voice the national interest in personal terms to the President of the United States.' Asked about the reports on Sunday, the Prime Minister said he supported the 'status quo when it comes to Taiwan'. Speaking from Shanghai on his six day trip to China, he said it was 'important' to have a 'stable, orderly, coherent position' and reiterated calls for 'peace and security in our region'. Mr Hastie also rebuffed comments from Mr Albanese that there needed to 'be a little bit of perspective' on a potential meeting with US President Donald Trump. Mr Hastie said the leaders needed to have a conversation about the AUKUS review, as well as demand transparency around whether Australia would be asked to deploy the Virginia-class submarines obtained from the US through the AUKUS agreement. 'I think (it's been) 250 days since President Trump was elected, and the US is our closest security partner,' Mr Hastie said. 'I think he needs to go to Donald Trump and have an intimate conversation with him about AUKUS and many other issues, particularly given that it is such a close partnership we have with the United States.'
