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

TRANSCRIPT
INTERVIEW WITH SYLVIA JEFFREYS, TODAY SHOW

Monday 14 September 2026 

Topics: One Nation; immigration.

E&OE……………………………………

SYLVIA JEFFREYS: Shadow Minister for Industry and Sovereign Capability, Andrew Hastie, joins me now from Canberra. Andrew, thanks for your time. It's great to have you on the program today.

ANDREW HASTIE: Good morning, Sylvia.

SYLVIA JEFFREYS: Let's begin with your battle with Pauline Hanson first of all. The video that refers to you as a traitor, it was posted some two months ago. Why launch your attack on Pauline Hanson now?

ANDREW HASTIE: As you're aware, there are legal proceedings underfoot regarding war crimes, and only a week or so ago, a non-publication order was made for all the witnesses involved in that case, and my name was not included in that non-publication order. So, I'm free to speak about some of these issues, as I think I'm unlikely to be called as a witness. My issue is that, yes, it was personally offensive because I'm proud of the 12 years, eight months, multiple tours to Afghanistan that I gave to this country, serving in the Australian Army. But it's more about the veterans across this country, particularly the more than 20 SAS combat veterans who gave evidence in the Federal Court some years ago. The question for Pauline Hanson, which she hasn't answered, which she refused to answer, is: are they traitors too? I think it's a total slur to call anyone who's worn our uniform a traitor.

SYLVIA JEFFREYS: So, does it have anything at all to do with One Nation's win in the Secret Harbour electorate, which overlaps, of course, with your seat of Canning?

ANDREW HASTIE: No, it doesn't. The real issue of Secret Harbour is that there are forgotten Australians there, and across the country, who are getting hammered by Labor's high inflation, high immigration numbers, and underinvestment in our critical infrastructure whether it be roads, public transport, and essential services like hospitals. People are angry, rightly so, and we need to work harder to build a plan and a vision for this country that delivers those people prosperity going forward.

SYLVIA JEFFREYS: The people of Secret Harbour voted for One Nation, though. So, does that present an existential threat to your political career?

ANDREW HASTIE: It doesn't, Sylvia, because it was a state election contested on state issues. I'm in the federal parliament, and I believe that Angus Taylor has a strong plan for lower taxes, for cheaper power, for cutting immigration, building more homes, and investing in Australians. There were issues in Secret Harbour, certainly, that people were angry about. But the lesson for all of us is that we need to deliver for the forgotten people of Australia. The mums and dads, and the seniors out there who are getting hammered by inflation, who are sick and tired of being forgotten – we've got to start fighting for them, and that's what the Coalition is doing today.

SYLVIA JEFFREYS: Let's put the politics aside for a moment because this is clearly very personal for you. You say you're proud of your years of service, and you should be, and it deserves the respect of every single Australian, especially those of us who have never put on a uniform for the sake of our country. As an Afghanistan veteran yourself, how does it affect you personally to be accused of betraying your country?

ANDREW HASTIE: Well, I've experienced this for five or six months now. It's been really hard. It's been hard on me personally. It's been hard on my staff. But it's been really hard on my wife as well, who I left behind to go overseas, knowing I might not return. So, it is a slur, that's why I've defended myself, but I'm also standing up for other veterans because it's not just about me. And I think this sort of nasty, grubby politics underscores Pauline Hanson's true character. With Australia facing a once-in-a-generation cost of living crisis, with artificial intelligence coming at us very hard and fast, I think she's revealed that she doesn't have what it takes to be prime minister of this country.

SYLVIA JEFFREYS: You've said that you will keep going on this front with Pauline Hanson. What's next? What's the next stage of your attack against her?

ANDREW HASTIE: She has refused to take down the cartoon. She's doubled down. She hasn't apologised. Barnaby Joyce apologised and explained his situation, and I accept that. I think that shows Barnaby Joyce to be an honourable person. Whereas Pauline Hanson has doubled down. It shows that when she's under pressure, she retreats into childish cartoons rather than being a person who can take responsibility, and I think that reveals why she's not fit to be prime minister of Australia.

SYLVIA JEFFREYS: Okay, let's move on to the news of the day. One Nation releasing, finally, its immigration policy, with plans to slash temporary visa holders by 750,000 to achieve negative overseas migration. Angus Taylor has pledged to cut migration more conservatively, with a 170,000 target for net migration. Does your party know how it's going to achieve that figure or is that just a stab in the dark?

ANDREW HASTIE: No, we know how we're going to achieve that, and we're working very hard to get the policy right. What we don't know about Pauline Hanson's policy is the economic, the fiscal, and the human impact it will have. She posted on Facebook, in the last hour, her policy, but we don't know what the modelling or the costing is, and it's up to her to come out and explain that to the Australian people. I've sat through several hours of meetings over the last week talking about these issues, and we want to get it right. We've said that we're going to cut net overseas migration below the amount of houses that are built every year because housing is a massive issue. I have Australians in my electorate living down at the beach in their cars or in tents. We've got kids in caravan parks and tents in the backyard of their neighbours. This is unacceptable. This is really bad stuff. Labor has lost control of their borders, and so we are cutting migration, but we're going to get it right because it's got to work for all Australians.

SYLVIA JEFFREYS: Alright, we will await the detail from Angus Taylor. Andrew Hastie, great to have you on the program this morning. Thanks for your time.

ANDREW HASTIE: Thanks so much, Sylvia.

[ENDS]