Wed Be Sitting Ducks: Hastie Warns Australia Too Reliant on US for Security

Member for Canning Andrew Hastie addresses the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on Feb. 10, 2026. Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty ImagesShadow Industry and Sovereign Capability Minister Andrew Hastie has warned Australia would be “sitting ducks” without the support of the United States in a conflict, arguing for a rebuild of the nation’s industrial and defence capability.During an Anzac Day speech at the Robert Menzies Institute, Andrew Hastie said Australia “forgot the hard lessons of war” and outsourced its security to the United States at the expense of its own hard power.