Hastie's mother Sue was a primary school teacher for special needs children. His maternal grandmother Rose was a nurse and cared for Hastie's maternal grandfather Reginald, a war veteran.[2]
His father Peter was a church pastor in Wangaratta, Victoria; and later in the inner Sydney suburb of Ashfield, where he helped launch Australia's first Mandarin-speaking Presbyterian church.[3][4] His paternal grandfather, Bill Hastie, was a flight lieutenant who flew Catalina missions in the Pacific War. During an air-sea rescue attempt of a downed Beaufighter crew, he was severely wounded by Japanese fire, the rescue was successful and he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.[2]
Hastie began his military career as an officer cadet in 2001. His officer training was completed at Duntroon in 2006, and was commissioned as lieutenant from December.[13] He was posted in 2007 with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment (Australia) of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps, based in Palmerston, Northern Territory. Hastie commanded a cavalry troop in 2008, before it was deployed in Afghanistan the following year.[14]
From February to July 2013, Hastie was deployed to Afghanistan as an SASR officer with Special Operations Task Group Rotation XIX, largely targeting Taliban forces in partnership with other Afghan forces.[17] During a battle in Zabul, some members of Hastie's SASR troop severed the hands of deceased Taliban soldiers, ostensibly for the purposes of conducting biometric testing.[18] Hastie afterwards ordered his unit to cease the practice, and the incident was reported to ADF command.[19] An inquiry later found that Australian troops in Afghanistan had not been explicitly instructed about the collection of body parts for biometric testing.[19]
Hastie was deployed in 2014 and 2015 to an intelligence role in the Middle East-based role countering ISIL as an Operations Officer for Operation Gallant Phoenix.[20][21][5] Hastie resigned from the ADF in August 2015 after announcing his candidacy for the 2015 Canning by-election.[22]
Political career (2015–present)
Hastie was first elected in the 2015 Canning by-election and was re-elected in the 2016 and 2019 federal elections.[9]
Turnbull government
The seat of Canning became vacant by the death in office of the Liberal member, Don Randall, triggering the 2015 Canning by-election. Having won the Liberal Party pre-selection,[23] Hastie launched his campaign in the electorate with support from Mathias Cormann and Julie Bishop, but was met with media criticism about the "severed hands" incident and his family's religious beliefs.[24][25]
Hastie won 55.26% of votes under the two-party-preferred system, making him the 10th Federal Member for Canning, defeating Labor candidate Matt Keogh. He joined the government of Malcolm Turnbull who had himself become Prime Minister of Australia a week before the by-election. Hastie gave his first speech on 13 October 2015.[26]
In his electorate, Hastie supported striking Alcoa Australia workers, organised by the Australian Workers' Union. Hastie said he supported the strikers because "energy production in Australia is too expensive and it is hurting industry, workers, seniors and families."[30]
In the 2019 Australian federal election, held on 18 May, Hastie ran for re-election and won 61.55% of the two-party-preferred vote against the Australian Labor Party's candidate Mellisa Teede. Hastie spoke in 45 debates in 2019, above average according to Open Australia, mostly regarding national security matters.[31]
Hastie has opposed dredging and the development of the Mandurah Estuary for a 300-berth marina,[32] citing the lack of grassroots interest as well as environmental and possible geo-strategic concerns. He strongly supports the AUD22 million foreshore development project, allocating AUD7 million in federal funds, towards a new civic square, convention centre, a large-scale adventure play area and an ecotourism hub.[33]
Hastie is reported to be a witness into Australian armed forces war crimes investigations.[34]
On 22 December 2020, Morrison appointed Hastie assistant defence minister.[35]
China
In August 2019, Hastie wrote an opinion article, "We Must See China with Clear Eyes" for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers, where he stated that "Communist China", rather than Islamic terrorism, would be the real security concern of the 21st century. The piece was criticised by the Chinese Embassy in Australia, who denounced the remarks as reflecting a "Cold War mentality",[36][37] while Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan accused Hastie of "threatening WA jobs with extreme and inflammatory language."[38] Conversely, Hastie received praise from fellow Liberal MPs Dave Sharma and Peter Dutton, and Professor Clive Hamilton.[39][40][41] The embassy disinvited him on a planned study trip with several colleagues to China with the China Matters think tank, stating “that at this time Mr Hastie and Senator [James] Paterson are not welcome" unless they "genuinely repent and redress their mistakes."[42]
In May 2020, Hastie was one of 20 Australian politicians to sign a letter condemning the "comprehensive assault on [Hong Kong's] autonomy, rule of law and fundamental freedoms", in response to a "new legal framework and enforcement mechanism".[43][44][45]
Hastie was one of a number of backbenchers who pushed for added restrictions on foreign investment of Australian companies.[46] Hastie argued that such purchases are part of wider political warfare conducted by the Chinese Communist Party.[47][48]
Hastie was a strong supporter of the Turnbull Government's decision to prevent Huawei from providing 5G services in Australia.[49]
Political views
Hastie is a member of the National Right faction of the Liberal Party.[50]
Mike Gallagher with Andrew Hastie by the statue of Sir David Stirling at Campbell Barracks in Western Australia in 2019
Hastie has been described as a "conservative" and campaigned against same-sex marriage, abstaining from the 2017 parliamentary vote to legalise marriage of same-sex couples.[51][52][53][54] He is a member of the Atlantic Council, an international foreign policy think tank connected to conservative politicians Mike Gallagher from the United States and Tom Tugendhat from the United Kingdom.[55][56] Hastie has cited his Christian religion as informing his views on various policies, such as individual freedoms.[57]
Hastie believes that "freely formed associations are the basis of Australian society and are the fullest expression of self-government."[9] Hastie has expressed concern about the freedom of Australian universities and media institutions.[58] In May 2018, Hastie identified political donor Chau Chak Wing as an unindicted co-conspirator in an FBI bribery case involving former president of the UN general assembly, John Ashe, a move that was viewed as likely to further inflame the already strained relations between Australia and China,[59] but which Hastie saw as "his duty."[60] An ABC analyst noted that Chau Chak Wing was, at that time, in court proceedings against Nine media for defamation, and that Hastie acted "because he has become sincerely worried about the influence of China on Australian institutions and politics."[61] Arguing in favour of "the sovereignty of local communities to make decisions about how they conserve and develop their environment", Hastie opposed the dredging of The Point Grey Marina but supported the investment of $3 million by the Environment Restoration Fund to protect Carnaby's black cockatoo, a native bird endemic to Southwest Australia and currently listed as endangered due to loss of habitat.[32][62]
Australian sovereignty was Hastie's central concern in a column that caused a "firestorm" in Sino-Australian relations in August 2018.[63] His concerns regarding Australia maintaining its sovereignty in the face of China's rising power in the region led him to form the Parliamentary Friends of Democracy with Labor senator Kimberley Kitching.[citation needed]
Hastie has publicly opposed the Paris Agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and the National Energy Guarantee. He made it clear in August 2018 that he did not support the NEG as it existed at the time. He cited issues including unclear assurances of energy affordability and energy related risks to national security as his reasons for opposing the policies.[64]
Personal life
Hastie met his wife Ruth in the summer of 2007 while he was studying at George Washington University. Their first date was "watching then-president George W. Bush walk from the Oval Office across the lawns of the White House to be whisked away in the Marine One helicopter."[8] Some months later, Hastie proposed to Ruth on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. The two were married in 2008 at Capitol Hill Baptist Church. Their children were born in Perth in June 2015, August 2017 and November 2021. The family of five now lives in the City of Mandurah in the Peel region of Western Australia.[65][66]
Hastie lists "biographies, Shakespeare, psalms" among his interests.[57]
^ abHastie, Andrew (13 October 2015). "First Speech". Australian Parliament House. Archived from the original on 6 May 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
^"ParlInfo – BUSINESS : Rearrangement". parlinfo.aph.gov.au. Archived from the original on 6 May 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
^scheme=AGLSTERMS. AglsAgent; corporateName=Australian Electoral Commission; address=50 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra. "House of Representatives division information". Australian Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 14 April 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
.jpg)
_ribbon.png){kind=small}
_ribbon.png){kind=small}
