'Sitting ducks': Hastie says overreliance on US has weakened Australia

SMH · Brittany Busch · Friday 24 April 2026

'Sitting ducks': Hastie says overreliance on US has weakened Australia

Andrew Hastie uses an ANZAC-themed speech to warn that overreliance on the US has left Australia exposed, calling for a rebuilt industrial and defence base.

An ANZAC speech warning we're too tied to Washington, delivered by a frontbencher of the party that did the tying. The industrial base Hastie wants rebuilt was auctioned off by his predecessors for scrap value. The arsonist's turned up at the wake to complain the house was flammable.

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