Australian Defence Force dumps Canning MP Andrew Hastie for wearing uniform in election promos
The Australian Defence Force has terminated Andrew Hastie’s service in the Army reserve for wearing his uniform in his election campaign materials. The federal MP for Canning has refused to comply with the department’s request to remove a photo of himself in uniform.
Hastie joined the defence force in 2003 and served in Papua New Guinea, Bougainville, Aghanistan, Asia Pacific and the Middle East during his time. In his campaign materials for this election, he chose to include his images in his army uniform, which the Defence Force strictly prohibits.
Australia’s armed forces maintain their apolitical stance, and a Defence force member using his military uniform for political campaigning undermines that.
In one of Hastie’s campaign material, he is seen wearing his desert camouflage in Afghanistan. Another image from the same material shows him holding infant son Jonathan along with wife Ruth. The slogan in the material reads: “Not another politician.”
The ADF has asked him to take it down, but in an act of defiance, the Liberal member refused, claiming the Defence had “used a bit of policy to try and push me around, basically.” He told 6PR radio on Thursday that “as a federal parliamentarian, I don’t take orders from the military.”
“Defence contacted Mr Hastie, a member of the standby Army reserve, and requested he remove imagery of himself in uniform from election campaign material,” the department said (via the West Australia). “Regrettably, Mr Hastie did not comply. Accordingly, the army issued Mr Hastie with a notice indicating the intention to terminate his service because he had failed to comply with directions and Defence policy.”
The department continued, “Mr Hastie’s service has been terminated.”
In response, Hastie took aim at former boss, David Morrison, ex-Army chief and the Australian of the Year. He said Morrison “politicised the ADF long before I ever put my mug on a billboard. In fact, he hastened my exit from the army into politics.”
He insisted, “The ADF should be proud too that they have former ADF personnel on both sides of politics.”
The ADF also asked Labor candidate for Brisbane, Pat O’Neill, to remove his images in his arm uniform from his campaign materials. Unlike Hastie, O’Neill agreed to take down the promotional materials.
