Andrew Hastie Says He Will Remain With the Liberal Party Following Joyce Decision

‘I wouldn’t be elected if it wasn’t for the Liberal Party,’ Hastie said.

MP Andrew Hastie reacts during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on July 28, 2022. Martin Ollman/Getty Images

Federal MP Andrew Hastie has revealed he will not be leaving the Liberal Party after stepping down from Sussan Ley’s front bench.

Amid news that Barnaby Joyce’s revelation that he would not run for the National Party at the next election, and whispers of a One Nation switch, right-leaning Liberal Party MPs have also faced scrutiny over whether they had itchy feet.

“I’m not switching. I wouldn’t be elected if it wasn’t for the Liberal Party,” Hastie told 2GB radio. “I’m very grateful for the opportunity the party has given me over the last 10 years to be a parliamentarian. So I won’t be switching.”

“As for Barnaby—I don’t know what’s in Barnaby’s mind, but I hope he stays within the Coalition because I think he does have a lot of experience, and he’s got some good insight obviously.”

Hastie’s relationship with the Liberal Party leadership has been contentious after a leadership ballot saw the Moderate and Centre Right factions back Ley, winning the internal vote 29-25 against National Right member Angus Taylor.

He further quit the Coalition’s shadow ministry over a dispute on immigration and net zero policy, saying he was giving.

The MP also backed Kevin Rudd as Australia’s U.S. ambassador following a brief exchange with U.S President Donald Trump.

“I think Kevin Rudd got the job done in the end. He got the minerals deal and he had a seat at the table with President Trump and the prime minister,” Hastie said.

Hastie suggested Rudd had taken one for Team Australia.

“Frankly, he made some unwise comments prior to becoming the ambassador—we all make unwise comments. He sat there and he was humiliated by Donald Trump first by pretending not to know who he was, and then secondly, by saying, ‘I don’t like you and I think I never will,’” Hastie said.

“But he copped it on the chin for the country, and we don’t need to relive the humiliation. We got the deal and let’s move on.

In 2020, Rudd had described Trump as the “most destructive president” in U.S. history before deleting the comments after the November 2024 U.S. election.