Andrew Hastie is now being asked the question he refused to answer a couple of weeks ago – should women be allowed to serve in combat roles in the ADF.

In 2018 he said:

My personal view, since you’ve asked me, is that close combat roles are incredibly exacting. “That’s why we have rigorous selection courses. And my personal view is that the fighting DNA of a close combat unit is best preserved when it’s exclusively male. Now, that’s not a popular view.”

Today he says:

Yes. The Coalition policy is that all combat roles are open to women. It’s been our long-standing position. I’ve been in this role for almost five years, 18 months as the Assistant Minister for Defence, three years now as the Shadow Minister for Defence and our Coalition policy is that all combat roles are open to women.

There is no points for second place that we need to win every fight we go into, that is why we will uphold that.

Q: Are you saying women have lower standards? Is that what you are saying?

Hastie:

It is hardly what I am saying. We have one standard. All Australians, regardless of your background, race, sexuality, gender, religion, every single role in the ADF is open to you, and we want more Australians to join.

I signaled this last week to the Secretary of Defence and the chief of the Defence Force, so I made it very clear about our policy going forward.

This is the thing about Richard Marles. He talks a big game. Talks about the most dangerous strategic circumstances since the end of the Second World War and he uses women in the ADF as a political prop, as a political prop, and I think it is a shame for scare campaign that is running and I stand by my record. Like I said yesterday on ABC Radio, I worked in the ADF for 12 years, eight months and I worked with women all the time. It is the first close quarter battle integrated course with females at the end of 2011, counter-terrorism drills at Swanbourne. I was taught surveillance and counter surveillance by women, very good at what they do. I was an instructor on the first integrated SAS selection course where we had females come through. To take a lecture from Richard Marles is below the belt, really is what I am saying.

Q: Has he changed his view from seven years ago – that women weaken the fighting DNA of a combat unit?

Hastie is now trying to say that he doesn’t think women are up to the physicality of what he did in the SAS, without saying that:

I did say it. In my personal experience, when I think about some of the things I had to do in a closed combat unit… not far from here, live fire drills where you practice a man down, very aerobically intensive. You are firing live rounds. I remember picking up an 85kg man and I did that with men under fire in combat for a fallen mate.

I am not going to resile from what I have said in the past. You want honesty and integrity from politicians, I said what I said but the thing that the Australian people need to know, under a Dutton-led Coalition government, we will have a policy that is open to all Australians for combat roles. Nothing is changing. This is Richard Marles playing politics with the ADF, with women in the ADF and using them as political props and it is shameful.

Q: It sounds like from that answer you still think women aren’t strong enough – is that right, women aren’t strong enough to deal with that combat you have described, is that what you are saying?

Hastie:

I didn’t say that at all. I got asked a question and I referred to my personal experience. Never once have I indicated that the policy should change and, as I have said, judge me by my record for the last five years.

Q: Do you not believe in your own policy if that is your personal belief and the Coalition policy is something different?

Hastie then declares the questioning over:

No, I am standing here saying there is one policy. This is student politics stuff. I am ready to be the Minister for Defence of this country. We have the most dangerous circumstances since the end of the Second World War. Peter takes that seriously, I take it seriously and Linda and Michaelia take it seriously. We are focusing on bringing lethal capabilities to deter our enemies and you are getting caught up on a comment from 7 years ago which doesn’t have any bearing on the current policy settings. I have dealt with it, I have answered the question. We are going to move on.