THE HON ANDREW HASTIE MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE INDUSTRY
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE PERSONNEL
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR CANNING

TRANSCRIPT
INTERVIEW WITH RAF EPSTEIN, ABC RADIO MELBOURNE

FRIDAY 25 APRIL 2025

Topics: Anzac Day reflections.

E&OE

RAF EPSTEIN: Andrew Hastie, good morning.

ANDREW HASTIE: Good morning, Raf. I'm sitting in my car just about to get out to our dawn service here in Dawesville, about an hour south of Perth.

RAF EPSTEIN: What does it mean to you? You've served in the SAS, people may remember that about you. What does Anzac Day mean to you?

ANDREW HASTIE: Anzac Day is the day we stare sacrifice right in the face, and we see more than 100,000 Australians staring right back at us who gave their lives serving our country. For me, it's about learning the stories, thinking about those we know, or the families who've been affected, and honouring their sacrifice as a nation.

RAF EPSTEIN: I've seen footage of soldiers observing Anzac Day in Afghanistan. I don't know if you were ever there during an Anzac Day?

ANDREW HASTIE: I was. I was there in 2013, and it was a very powerful day. We had a slide show on the screen of all our fallen in Afghanistan. It was very moving, and it was also a reminder that we were working in a very dangerous war zone as well. So very special that one back in 2013.

RAF EPSTEIN: Do you remember the first dawn service you went to as a kid, or anything like that?

ANDREW HASTIE: I remember going into Sydney with my grandfather, who served aboard a Catalina in World War Two. He was badly wounded on the 31st of March 1945. He managed to stay alive for four hours after being shot through the abdomen. He held on for four hours. He was awarded the DFC, and he was part of an air crew that rescued a downed Australian fighter that had been shot down. I used to watch him have a beer with his mates after marching and I remember thinking, there's such a tight bunch of blokes. They really loved each other. And that's how I learned ANZAC – by watching my grandfather on those days.

RAF EPSTEIN: I hope it's okay to ask the next question, Andrew Hastie, answer it however you like. I think you've got young daughters, I think they're pretty young. What would you say to them if they came to you as teenagers and said, hey, we want to serve. What would you say to them?

ANDREW HASTIE: I'd encourage them to do so. I think the older one, Beatrice, who's seven, she likes marching around. My three-year-old, I'm not sure really understands the concept yet. But I'd encourage them, because I've worked with some amazing women in the ADF, and we need great men and women in uniform in this country.

RAF EPSTEIN: Yes, you got grilled by my colleague, Patricia Karvelas, on that stuff but it's not a day for electioneering. However, I will ask you this question. We had some real ugliness this morning, some boos whenever First Nations people were mentioned, and especially when the elder was giving the Welcome to Country. Have you ever heard any part of an Anzac Day dawn service interrupted with boos?

ANDREW HASTIE: I haven't. I've always seen respect, and it's about respect. Anything that detracts from the purpose of Anzac Day, which is honouring our fallen, I think is a disgrace.

RAF EPSTEIN: Do you get to catch up with people you've served with today?

ANDREW HASTIE: I don't actually, because the SAS is about an hour north. But the beauty of ANZAC is that I meet with all sorts of people. We have mothers here in Canning who lost sons with the British Army and the Royal Marines. And so Anzac Day is not a day only where we remember our fallen but also people from other countries who've made a life here in Australia. I've made a lot of friends across generations, and that's the beauty of Anzac Day. It's for everyone.

RAF EPSTEIN: You've only got a week to go of campaigning. I wish you all the best with that. Thanks for joining us before you even get to your own dawn service.

ANDREW HASTIE: Thanks, Raf. A pleasure.

[ENDS]