Senior Liberal MP Andrew Hastie has warned that the party could “die” as a political movement unless it takes a tougher stance on net overseas migration, which he blames for fuelling Australia’s housing crisis.
Hastie told parliament and later reiterated in media interviews that the Coalition risked further decline if it failed to win back disillusioned voters drifting to One Nation and minor conservative parties.
“If we don’t act, we can expect anger and frustration,” Hastie wrote in an Instagram post on Sept. 24.
“We might even die as a political movement. So be it. What is the point of politics, if you’re not willing to fight for something?”
The Liberal frontbencher insisted the party could not stay frozen in time.
“A lot of people would like us to stay exactly where we are, including some people in our party, but we can’t—the world has changed.”
Migration Linked to Dropping Housing and Fertility Rate
During the latest parliament session, Hastie used his speech to link surging migration with housing affordability and even Australia’s declining birth rate.
“So many young Australians have lost hope of owning a home, and if they can’t build a home, it’s very hard to start a family. Now that might in part explain the collapse of our fertility rate to 1.5 births per woman, the lowest in our history,” he said.
He noted that Australia’s rapid population growth was not driven by more children but by record migration.
“Historically, the 20-year average for the [net overseas migration] from the years 2000 to 2019 was about 190,000 people per year. Yet post-COVID net overseas migration has exploded. In 2023–24 the [number] was 446,000 people, the largest group temporary students, with 207,000 arrivals,” he said.
With the number of new arrivals nearing the one million mark, Hastie argued it was straining infrastructure, stretching schools and hospitals, and pushing the housing market out of reach for many.
“Then overseas migration must come down. Our first allegiance is to all Australian citizens and making sure they have a roof over their heads,” he said.
Hastie’s remarks come just weeks after nationwide “March for Australia” rallies demanding immigration cuts, which drew thousands of protesters and clashes with counter-demonstrators.
Politicians including Pauline Hanson, Bob Katter, and Malcolm Roberts addressed the events, intensifying the debate over migration policy.
Data Shows Migration Already Falling
New figures show the pace of migration is starting to ease.
Data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Sept. 19 revealed Australia’s population grew by 423,400 in the year to March 2025, bringing the total to 27.5 million.
Another 315,900 people were added through migration in the year to March—down sharply from 493,800 the year before.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the figures showed a clear trend.
“We are now 17,000 people lower than the Treasury forecast for net overseas migration. We are 40 percent below the peak that we saw in net overseas migration following COVID,” he said.
Beidar Cho, ABS head of demography, noted that the long-term picture remained one of steady growth.
“Our population at 31 March 2025 was 27.5 million people, that’s 423,400 more than the same time in 2024,” Cho said.
Hastie Denies Leadership Ambitions
Speculation has swirled around Hastie’s vocal campaigns on migration, manufacturing, and net zero, with some interpreting them as laying the groundwork for a future leadership tilt.
But Hastie rejected the idea, insisting he was a “team player” and backed Opposition Leader Sussan Ley.
“I support Sussan. Anyone who’s speculating otherwise is being mischievous,” he told 2GB radio.
“I’m a team player. I’m just being a little bolder in some of the policy positions that I think we should adopt.”
Hastie’s remarks came on the heels of public backing by Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price for the future Liberal leadership.
Asked directly about Hastie’s suitability for leadership, she answered, “I think so. I think he’s passionate, he’s got conviction ... I think he'd make a remarkable leader one day.”
Price was removed from the Liberal frontbench on Sept. 10 after declining to endorse Ley and refusing to apologise for her views on mass migration.
