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Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie has signed a deal to write a book next year on his political convictions, as he seeks to chart a new path for conservative politics in Australia amid the populist surge of One Nation.
The MP for Canning updated his register of interests on Friday to disclose payments relating to a writing project from publisher Allen & Unwin.
Asked about the deal, Hastie told this masthead that the publisher approached him after he began writing on publishing platform Substack.
“Back in January, I began writing on Substack. I reflected on current events, my convictions and the direction of Australia. Allen & Unwin picked up the phone and asked if I’d like to write a book. I worked on a pitch, signed a contract, and here we are. I’ll be using those long flights between Perth and the eastern states, as well as early starts, to get the project done.”
Hastie is widely touted as a future leader of the federal Liberal Party, with many colleagues regarding him as part of a younger generation of MPs who can appeal to a broader voter base.
Hastie, a conservative, has made his leadership aspirations known, putting himself forward as a candidate earlier this year while the Liberals started sliding in opinion polls under Sussan Ley.
However, his colleagues decided to back Angus Taylor, arguing that it was time for the older MP to take the reins and that Hastie would have his chance in future.
One Nation has continued to grow its support under Taylor’s leadership, as the Coalition fails to bring voters on board with its argument against the Albanese government’s recent federal budget.
While Taylor was initially cautious about attacking One Nation before rounding on Hanson’s party in a speech to the Sydney Institute on Thursday, Hastie has been forthright in denouncing the right-wing populist party.
Hastie has criticised Hanson’s devotion to US President Donald Trump as “MAGA-first” and told his colleagues he would rather “get taken out in a box than bend the knee to One Nation”.
He said last week the Liberals needed to focus on addressing the anger of the Australian people and “delivering centre-right government”.
“There are members of the Coalition who are facing a two-front war,” Hastie said. “And I think it’s important that we campaign as strong as we can to defeat Labor, and if people want to try and knock us out on the right, well, they need to be dealt with as well.”
Hastie described himself in his first speech to parliament as a keen student of history and often refers to classical literature in his writings.
Last year, he wrote on his Substack about Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace and what it says about political leadership, and was spotted in parliament browsing through a copy of Sun Tzu’s Art of War. Other material on his reading list includes A Time to Build by Yuval Levin, which argues for the importance of institutions in a polarised world.
In a speech to the Conservative Political Action Network conference in March, also published on his Substack, Hastie said: “We are living through a massive rupture of the world as we know it.”
He said that “local, living institutions” were being disrupted by virtual networks online.
“Across Australia, I detect an emotional vibe shaped by three things … Anxiety. Stress. Loneliness. I’m disorientated because my political vision is being tested by a new reality. One Nation’s rise in the polls is a symptom of that new reality.”
He said the system was not working for Australians, and they were blaming the Liberals and Labor.
“That’s why One Nation, the teals and the Greens have risen in prominence: they have acknowledged that the system is broken. That it no longer supports the aspirations of mainstream Australians,” he said.
“I think it’s time that we did the same thing. That we acknowledged that we got it wrong, that the system needs a massive overhaul.”
Hastie was among Liberals campaigning hardest internally to get rid of the net zero emissions target last year, and also pushed for a tougher line on immigration.
As he seeks to reach a broader audience, the Liberal MP has recently started making more appearances on the ABC.
In his most recent interview on the ABC’s 7.30 on Wednesday night, Hastie said he rejected Hanson’s monoculture stance and Labor’s version of multiculturalism, arguing instead for a third way that prioritised Australian values.
Hastie’s security detail has recently been upgraded by Home Affairs following a torrent of online abuse directed at the Afghanistan War veteran because he gave evidence in accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith’s defamation action against this masthead.
Hastie believes the campaign is being fuelled by One Nation and its supporters, according to multiple sources present at a recent Coalition party room meeting.
