Opposition leader Sussan Ley has brushed off Andrew Hastie’s recent comments on immigration, making it clear she does not believe migrants are to blame for the daily struggles Australians are facing. Ley also denied any suggestion that Hastie was seeking her leadership position, saying she is not worried about such speculation.
When asked about Hastie’s remarks that high migration levels are making Australians feel like “strangers in our own home,” Ley refused to endorse the statement. Instead, she pointed the finger at the government for not delivering the infrastructure and services needed to support the population. According to her, the real issue is not with migrants but with a government that has failed to plan properly.
“You can see how the lack of infrastructure is making life difficult for people every day,” Ley told reporters in Albury. She added that the pressures facing Australians have “nothing to do with any migrant or migrant community,” stressing that these challenges reflect a broader failure of government responsibility.
Ley also chose not to directly criticize Hastie for his comments, even though they have sparked questions about party unity. She said her colleagues often express strong views in different ways, and she remains confident about their commitment. For her, the key concern is ensuring that the government is held accountable for its poor planning rather than attacking migrants.
Speculation about Hastie’s political ambitions continues after his series of provocative policy statements. The shadow home affairs minister, who has openly admitted he would like to lead the party in the future, has fueled debate within the Liberal Party. While he has insisted that he supports Ley, his frequent comments on migration have drawn attention from both supporters and critics.
In his latest remarks, Hastie argued that net overseas migration was a major cause of the housing crisis and warned that the Liberal Party could collapse if it did not adopt stronger policies on migration. Although migration numbers have slowed since the post-pandemic surge, Hastie insists the impact is still making Australians uncomfortable in their own country.
His choice of words drew comparisons to past controversial political speeches. The phrase about Australians feeling like “strangers in our own home” echoed parts of Enoch Powell’s infamous 1968 “rivers of blood” speech in the UK, which described fears about multiculturalism. The line also reminded some of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s regretful remarks earlier this year about an “island of strangers.”
Hastie’s comments have once again revealed divisions inside the Liberal Party. While some MPs are unhappy with his approach and see it as damaging freelancing, others, such as Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, have publicly supported him. For now, Ley continues to focus on blaming government failures for rising costs and housing pressures, firmly rejecting the idea that migrants are the cause of these daily struggles.