Dutton was interviewed by election reviewers Nick Minchin and Pru Goward in July as they tried to unpick the devastating loss.
Dutton put to the election probe that Hastie was tasked with a review of the money the Defence Department spent on procurement. The aim was that when the Coalition released its defence policy, it could pledge to upgrade military hardware with better bang for buck than Labor. Hastie did not complete the work, according to Dutton’s submissions.
The opposition’s $21 billion defence spending policy, announced late in the election campaign, was criticised for being too late and lacking in detail.
Dutton submitted that Hastie declined to joust with Labor in the media on matters related to his defence portfolio, leaving a gap in the opposition’s attack.
A second source, also unwilling to disclose details publicly, confirmed the tenor of Dutton’s submissions, which were not devoted to the performance of individual MPs but which did single out Hastie. Dutton also canvassed other failings unrelated to Hastie.
Hastie pushed back, saying he stood by his record and it was on Dutton and his office to explain why the defence policy had been delayed.
“Only Peter Dutton and those who were in his office can explain why the defence policy was kept back until the final fortnight of the campaign,” Hastie said.
“Of course, the reason why anonymous sources are now pushing this into the media has nothing to do with the last election. It has to do with the fact that the old guard is lashing out because it is losing the fight on immigration and energy.”
Dutton was contacted for comment.
On Sky on Monday, Paterson said the most important election review in recent history “can’t be weaponised for internal purposes”
“It is critical there are no further leaks like this.”
Senator Jane Hume also weighed in on Sky on Monday, calling on colleagues to keep their counsel.
“As a former election reviewer myself, I know it’s really important for those submissions that we retain their confidentiality to ensure people can feel candid.”
Hume said it was “preposterous” to blame any one figure for the historic loss, saying it was “never one person or one issue”.
Hastie backed Dutton when Dutton challenged Malcolm Turnbull for the prime ministership and lost to Scott Morrison in 2018. But Hastie and Dutton drifted apart in the last term of government as the pair disagreed over the Ben Roberts-Smith saga and Dutton’s office viewed Hastie as a threat. Dutton’s submissions will now cast doubt over Hastie’s effectiveness and they could influence the contest between Hastie and Angus Taylor as leadership candidates from the Right.
Both this term and last, Hastie told party leaders he wanted an economic portfolio or a domestic one such as education rather than the defence and home affairs roles he held, which he believed pigeonholed him in security. A former army officer, Hastie served in the SAS before entering parliament.
This masthead reported on Sunday that Hastie, a self-described leadership aspirant, had resigned as home affairs spokesman to work on a manifesto on the future of centre-right politics. This put MPs Julian Leeser, James McGrath and Jonno Duniam all in the mix for promotions in a looming reshuffle.
The policy failings under Dutton, which some MPs attribute to his office’s command-and-control style, were the catalyst for Ley’s letters of expectations to frontbenchers, sent last week and first reported by this masthead, calling on every frontbencher to develop policy.
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Deputy Liberal leader Ted O’Brien has backed leader Sussan Ley’s version of events in her feud with Liberal MP Andrew Hastie, claiming on Nine’s Today show on Monday that Hastie never raised his gripes with Ley before quitting the frontbench.
O’Brien said that “my understanding is there was no discussion about the immigration portfolio … at all.”
“If he believes he can make a better contribution from the backbench, it’s absolutely his right to do so. And I’m not going to criticise that,” he said.
Labor seized on Hastie’s resignation. Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs Julian Hill said on Sunday the Coalition was “divided, dysfunctional and deluded”.
“Andrew Hastie wasn’t brave enough to run for leader, yet undermines at every turn. How long will Sussan Ley last?” he said.
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