Latest news with #Hastie
West Australian
2 days ago
- Politics
- West Australian
Liberals declare ‘all-out war' as Hastie targets Zempilas over net zero
Andrew Hastie has fired a shot at Basil Zempilas, declaring he was 'disappointed' by the new WA Liberal Leader's position on net zero, as a deepening party divide threatens to become an ugly public spat. The shadow home affairs minister used a newsletter to supporters to call out Mr Zempilas' stated support for the 'status quo', days after the WA Liberal party's state council passed a motion calling on the Federal Opposition to abandon the climate change target of net zero by 2050. 'The motion — moved and supported by my division of Canning — reflects a growing concern from mainstream Australians,' Mr Hastie said. 'I was therefore disappointed to see WA Liberal leader Basil Zempilas publicly dismiss those concerns. 'Our party is built on strong membership and open debate. When members speak up, we don't ignore them - we listen.' The Hastie newsletter was titled 'net zero is a bad deal', while the sentence calling out Mr Zempilas was highlighted in bold font. 'It's time that we had an honest conversation about where this path is taking us,' Mr Hastie said. 'I'll always back our members.' One Liberal source called it 'all-out war' as the divide over net zero threatens to undermine the new leadership of Sussan Ley, on the eve of her next visit to WA. Ms Ley is due to arrive in WA on Friday, with plans to visit Broome, Kununurra and Wyndham. She met with Mr Zempilas in Perth two weeks ago, as both leaders embark on self-proclaimed 'listening tours' in the wake of bruising State and Federal election defeats. Mr Zempilas was dubbed a 'net zero loser' by conservative lobby group Advance Australia on social media on Tuesday, after he left Saturday's state council meeting before the net zero debate and quickly distanced himself from the result. 'I had a pre-existing commitment that I had to get back to,' he told reporters on Monday. 'The WA parliamentary Liberal party supports the status quo.' He also rejected motions that urged the Federal Opposition to ditch Aboriginal flags and Welcome to Country ceremonies from official ceremonies. 'We are very comfortable with standing in front of the Aboriginal flag,' he said. 'We are very comfortable with the Welcome to Country, and we support the status quo on the net zero targets. 'It was a motion of the membership and that motion was supported on Saturday. It doesn't bind the Federal party and it doesn't bind the State party. And you've heard from me, the state Liberal party supports the status quo as it is in place at the moment in regard to those three issues.' The net zero motion was spearheaded by Mr Hastie's Canning division, while the motions on Welcome to Country and the Aboriginal flag were publicly supported by the State's most senior Federal Liberal Michaelia Cash. She denied it flew in the face of Ms Ley's bid to avoid 'culture war' issues that some in the party blamed for Peter Dutton's election loss. 'I think Sussan is doing a great job leading us,' Senator Cash said. 'The motions represent debate and diversity, not contradiction.'
ABC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Federal Liberal MP Andrew Hastie takes aim at WA party leader Basil Zempilas over net zero support
Federal Liberal MP Andrew Hastie has taken aim at West Australian Liberal leader Basil Zempilas over his comments on a motion to scrap a target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The stoush erupted over the weekend with Canning MP Mr Hastie, who has been touted as a potential future party leader, putting forward a motion at the WA Liberals' State Council meeting for the federal party to scrap targets for net zero emissions by 2050. That motion passed, but outspoken WA Liberal leader Basil Zempilas declared to reporters on the meeting's sidelines that he did "not have a problem" with net zero targets. Mr Zempilas urged his party to be conscious of lessons from recent elections, sharing his view that the party failed to connect with younger voters and female voters, and federally those in the nation's cities. He reiterated that stance on Monday, saying he saw no need to change the net zero targets. He also dismissed another motion that sought to get rid of Welcome to Country ceremonies and Indigenous flags from official events, saying it was not supported by the WA parliamentary Liberal Party. "We are very comfortable standing in front of the Aboriginal flag," Mr Zempilas said. "We are very comfortable with the Welcome to Country, and we support the status quo on the net zero targets." Now Mr Hastie has sent an email to his supporter base saying he was "disappointed" by the comments, sharing a graphic which included a smiling Mr Zempilas. "This motion — moved and supported by my division of Canning — reflects a growing concern from mainstream Australians about our expensive energy bills, unreliable supply, and the erosion of our national sovereignty," Mr Hastie said in the email. Neither Mr Hastie nor Mr Zempilas returned the ABC's calls on the matter. The criticism of Mr Zempilas comes as federal Liberal leader Sussan Ley and the party weigh up how to win back seats lost to Labor and teal independents around the country in the May election. Labor increased its dominance in WA, winning 11 seats, while independent Kate Chaney retained Curtin. Ms Ley has ordered a review of the Liberals' energy and emissions reduction policy. The South Australian Liberal State Council has also voted to support abandoning the target, while Queensland is yet to decide on the issue.
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Hastie heading to Force
Departing Highlanders halfback Nathan Hastie passes the ball against the Brumbies this season. Nathan Hastie's career resurgence will continue away from the Highlanders. The talented halfback is heading home — he was born in Perth — and will join the Western Force for the 2026 Super Rugby season after he has completed an NPC campaign with Otago. It could be a case of perfect timing for Hastie. While the Force have Nic White as their regular No 9, the former Wallaby has just turned 35. It might not be in the realms of fantasy to picture 24-year-old Hastie shining with a chance to play regularly in Super Rugby and knocking on the door of Australian selection at some stage. He will join Tom Donnelly, the former Otago coach and Highlanders assistant, at the Force. Hastie fans will be disappointed to see the combative halfback depart. The King's High School old boy and Harbour club representative had to be patient to really get his chance for the Highlanders thanks to a combination of niggling injuries and the presence of Aaron Smith and Folau Fakatava. That chance came this year, when he earned seven starts and was in outstanding form, playing with real spark and showing a willingness to trust his instinct and run with the ball. It came as something of a surprise when he then missed several match-day squads. Hastie was announced on a three-year deal at the Highlanders in early 2024, so either the club renegotiated his contract or they have reached a deal with the Force. The Highlanders, to be fair, appear loaded at halfback. Former All Black Fakatava recently signed a new deal, and pretty much everyone expects rising New Zealand under-20 star Dylan Pledger to graduate to a full contract. That presumably means Taranaki's Adam Lennox, who was in the wider squad this year and played several games, will be contracted as the third Highlanders halfback. Hastie, an Otago Daily Times Class Act recipient in 2019, finished with just 12 caps (one try) for the Highlanders, and he will add to his 16 caps for Otago when the NPC starts this weekend.
Perth Now
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Big call on US' ‘unreasonable' Taiwan order
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.' Andrew Hastie said the reported Pentagon demand was 'unreasonable'. NewsWire/ Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia 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'. Anthony Albanese said Australia supported the 'status quo' on Taiwan. NewsWire/ Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia 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.'
Perth Now
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
‘Rejected': Albo's big call on US demand
Anthony Albanese has rejected Coalition's front bencher Andrew Hastie's call for more 'transparency' from the United States in relation to their operations on Australian bases. Mr Hastie, a former SAS commander, has previously called for 'greater transparency' on how the US is using its Australian bases like Pine Gap near Alice Springs, and the Naval Communication Station on Western Australia's North West Cape, in order to bolster military posture in the Indo Pacific. The Coalition's home affairs spokesman urged for more 'mature' discussions on operationalising the alliance, guard rails for combat operations and clearer definitions for Australian sovereignty. Responding to the suggestion on the ABC, the Prime Minister said: 'I'm not sure what he means by that,' and rejected the idea of Australia using defence as a bargaining chip to secure a tariff exemption. Andrew Hastie has said the government should press the US to be more transparent on its Australian military operations. Richard Dobson/ NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia 'He belongs to a political party that during the election campaign, when President Trump announced tariffs on what he called the Liberation Day, they drew into question, said 'we should be bargaining with our defence relationship,'' Mr Albanese said. 'That was something that I rejected on that day.' Asked if US' military footprint would make Australia more vulnerable in the event of intensified conflict with China, Mr Albanese said it was his goal to 'avoid conflict,' and backed Australia's alliance with the US. 'I think it is in Australia's interest and the United States' interest and the interests of other partners we have to have interoperability, to have the AUKUS arrangements in place,' he continued. 'If Mr Hastie is questioning that, then he should say that. It's why I've been very clear on that.' Anthony Albanese rejected Mr Hastie's calls and backed the Australia-US alliance. NewsWire/ Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia Mr Albanese also said despite the 'laser-like focus' on when he would secure a meeting with US President Donald Trump, he was more concerned with 'supporting Australia's national interests'. He also noted that while he was prepared to meet with Mr Trump 'when a suitable time could be organised,' he flagged the yet-to-be-finalised Quad meeting between the US, Japan, India and Australia which will occur in the 'coming months'. 'We also have the Quad meeting coming up, which we are finalising as well,' he said. To date Mr Albanese has had three phone conversations with Mr Trump, and also met with US treasury secretary Scott Bessent, US trade representative, Jamieson Greer and US National Economic Council director, Kevin Hassett while he was in Kanamaskis for the G7.
