THE HON ANDREW HASTIE MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY AND SOVEREIGN CAPABILITY
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR CANNING

TRANSCRIPT
INTERVIEW WITH PATRICIA KARVELAS, AFTERNOON BRIEFING

Tuesday 10 March 2026

Topics: Conflict in the Middle East; fuel security; Iranian women’s soccer team; Nationals Party leader.

E&OE……………………………………

PATRICIA KARVELAS: Shadow Industry and Sovereign Capability Minister Andrew Hastie joins me now. Welcome to the program.

ANDREW HASTIE: Good afternoon, PK.

PATRICIA KARVELAS: Is Australia now at war in your view?

ANDREW HASTIE: I don't think Australia is at war, but we're certainly assisting the United States and the larger European military contribution, which is sailing now for the Middle East. There's two really important points to this strategic backdrop. Number one: the Strait of Hormuz has been closed since the first of March, or thereabouts, because Iran is threatening to fire at ships that pass through the Strait. And secondly: Iran is targeting the Gulf states, particularly oil infrastructure, gas terminals and things critical to the world energy supply. We've seen President Macron send the Charles de Gaulle – the aircraft carrier – with about eight frigates, a submarine, two helicopter ships. We've also seen the Greeks, the Spanish and the Dutch make a contribution. So we should view this as part of that larger package designed to get oil moving and to protect the Gulf states who are so fundamental to our economic security.

PATRICIA KARVELAS: And do you support the effort?

ANDREW HASTIE: I do support the effort because I think it's in the Australian national interest.

PATRICIA KARVELAS: How is it in the Australian national interest?

ANDREW HASTIE: Well, right now, we are reliant upon the importation of liquid fuel from refineries in Asia, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, but a lot of that oil first comes out of the Gulf states. And if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and if key bits of infrastructure in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar are destroyed or remain closed, then we're going to suffer big time. We're already seeing that with fuel prices going up so this is very much in Australia's strategic and economic interest.

PATRICIA KARVELAS: Okay, but you've previously voiced your concerns around forever wars, having no strategy, regime change not working. Are they still concerns you hold?

ANDREW HASTIE: I'm concerned this war continues on for much more than the week that President Trump sort of hinted at this morning. I'm worried this goes on for four or five weeks and what that means for our economic position in the world, given that we are so dependent upon the importation of liquid fuel. I'm concerned this war escalates; it goes on for longer. But we didn't get a choice with the war – we weren't involved in that initial planning – and so we've got to respond to events. We're price takers, not price makers, in this war at the moment, and the best thing that we can do is assist getting the Strait of Hormuz opened up and also protecting critical infrastructure in the Gulf states.

PATRICIA KARVELAS: Just to be clear, do you think we were just responding to the UAE, or is this, as you see it, a response to the United States as well and their requests and their desire to see us be part of this?

ANDREW HASTIE: I wasn't privy to the phone call between the President and Prime Minister Albanese. I haven't been briefed, but my sense is that if we don't get the Strait of Hormuz open, if we don't protect the critical energy infrastructure throughout the Middle East – particularly with the Gulf states – then the world economy could be crippled with an oil supply shock. It's really important we do our bit. And again, the Greeks are sending two frigates – that's about 400 to 500 people who will potentially be in harm's way in the Strait of Hormuz. We're sending a Wedgetail, we're also contributing missiles and about 85 people in a defensive role. So this isn't a boots on the ground commitment from us, I think it's a legitimate commitment and it's in the national interest.

PATRICIA KARVELAS: Do you think we should be committing even more then?

ANDREW HASTIE: Again, I need to understand what's going on. I don't get classified briefings in my role as the industry shadow minister, but certainly I want to make sure that Australians across this country have access to fuel. We're already struggling with inflation at 3.8 per cent and it's about to get lot tougher for Australians if oil supplies are constrained by the war.

PATRICIA KARVELAS: Are you clearer, by watching Donald Trump and the administration, on what their aims are?

ANDREW HASTIE: It's changed a little bit. It was about stopping Iran having a nuclear weapon, then it was about setting the conditions for a regime change and allowing opposition in Iran to roll the Ayatollah and the regime. But I think this is a pretty complex country. Iran is an advanced manufacturing nation, for example, they produced one million cars last year. It's a country of 90 million people, a highly educated middle-class – that's why I'm a little more bearish. I think this could drag on for some time, which is why we pressed Chris Bowen today in Question Time to make it very clear where we stand in terms of our minimal stock holding obligations with liquid fuel in this country.

PATRICIA KARVELAS: Well, you mentioned that, but actually, Chris Bowen says industry has told him to ask Australians to avoid panic buying, and also he'll be publishing minimum stock obligations weekly. Isn't that a satisfactory answer?

ANDREW HASTIE: Well, of course Australians are going to be concerned – it's human behavior. The job of the government, though, is to ensure supply and make sure that supply goes to the critical parts of the economy. We're a just-in-time diesel economy. If we get exposed to geopolitical risk, as we are, our economy could halt very quickly if we don't get enough supply into the country. So it's really important that we guarantee supply into the country, and then we make sure it gets to the right parts of the country, and that's what we were questioning Chris Bowen on. Of course, Australians are going to take care of their families, their small businesses – they're worried about the future, and I don't blame them for that.

PATRICIA KARVELAS: I just want to move to another topic on the Iranian women's team. You have firm views on immigration. Do you think the granting of humanitarian visas to the Iranian women's soccer team sets a precedent for others fleeing regimes?

ANDREW HASTIE: I don't think so. I think this was a very unique case. Iran is at war with the United States and Israel. As I mentioned, there's a big European force package sailing to the Strait of Hormuz now. These are women who face persecution back in Iran, and I think the government has done the right thing by granting them asylum. And anyone who draws a parallel between ISIS sympathizers is mistaken. I think we can be generous as a country at the right moment, and I think this is one of those moments.

PATRICIA KARVELAS: Well, one of the questions being asked – and it's a reasonable one – is, why do they get special treatment just because they're soccer players? I mean, we love soccer players, don't get me wrong, but why special treatment, when essentially, the government has also foreshadowed legislation that the Coalition says it will support, which actually will stop Iranians seeking asylum here on short term visas?

ANDREW HASTIE: This was a case which was handled very closely by the government. I'm not privy to classified briefings, I don't know what was being done in and around the women's soccer team. Suffice to say, five of them were offered asylum, they have taken it and then we saw images of some of their minders taking them to the airport which were slightly concerning. I think it's the right thing to do, we support the government. But of course, immigration remains an issue, and we have to make sure that standards are met generally, and the numbers come down.

PATRICIA KARVELAS: It's interesting you mentioned that footage, I saw it too. We obviously had the same reaction and all it is, is a reaction. We're watching footage, we don't know more than the pictures. Does it worry you that they've been coerced? Because, indeed, I've looked at the law, it actually breaks our law to coerce these women in the way that that's happening here.

ANDREW HASTIE: It is very concerning, and I think it's also a sign that maybe the regime is a little more resilient than the United States thought a week or so ago. Let's see what happens, but we've done what we can for the five who accepted asylum, and I think it was the right thing to do.

PATRICIA KARVELAS: Okay. Pauline Hanson has been a little more opposed to this. Has she got that one wrong?

ANDREW HASTIE: I haven't seen Pauline Hanson's comments. She's entitled to her own view, but on this case, the Coalition supports the government's decision.

PATRICIA KARVELAS: I have to ask you, just finally, David Littleproud has just said he's not going to continue as Nationals leader. That has an impact, of course, because you're in the Coalition again together. Why do you think he's resigning? Is it just really because he's buggered, or is it something it something to do with a Farrer election?

ANDREW HASTIE: It's a great question. I saw his press conference after question time. I sat next to him in Question Time; there was no indication that that was happening – he was cool as a cucumber. I suspect this job has been really tough. Leading a party of opposition is very, very difficult. He lives up in Queensland, a lot of time on the road, and he made it clear that he's going to focus on his family and his seat, so I take that at face value.

PATRICIA KARVELAS: But he also made some comments which Barnaby Joyce criticised – and you'd expect he's not a great fan of his to put a caveat on that – where he talked about the Nationals maybe even running last in Farrer, that it seemed like he was giving up quite early. Was he damaging the Coalition's prospects?

ANDREW HASTIE: Who knows, but I take colleagues at face value, particularly when they're standing there with their wife announcing that they're resigning as the National Party's leader. Speculation at this point doesn't help, and I'm actually quite focused on making sure the Australian people have a level of comfort about their fuel security, which they don't at the moment. That's why we're holding this government to account.

PATRICIA KARVELAS: Andrew Hastie, I'm very glad you're going to be a regular on the show. Thanks for coming on.

ANDREW HASTIE: Pleasure. Thanks, PK.

[ENDS]