Andrew Hastie, a West Australian Member of Parliament, has resigned from the Liberal Party’s shadow cabinet. Hastie stated that his decision stemmed from a “charter letter” issued by Sussan Ley, which he claimed clarified that the shadow home affairs minister would not be responsible for developing the party’s immigration platform. Hastie indicated that this made his position untenable given his outspoken stance on immigration.
The move to the backbench will, according to Hastie, provide him with greater freedom to advocate for his views on immigration, energy, and domestic manufacturing. While Hastie confirmed a long-term ambition to lead the Liberal Party, he explicitly ruled out an immediate challenge to Ley’s leadership, stating his departure aimed to provide Ley with “clear air” to develop an agenda for the 2028 election.
Senator James Paterson, a colleague and ally, described Hastie’s decision as “honourable”, citing the necessity of adhering to shadow cabinet solidarity.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/oct/04/andrew-hastie-says-there-is-no-challenge-to-sussan-ley-after-stepping-down-from-liberal-frontbench