Liberal MP Andrew Hastie has taken a sharp swipe at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ahead of his high-stakes meeting with Donald Trump next week, posting a mock letter that has ignited social media.
The post, styled as a personal note to the former US president, imagines Albanese ditching climate targets and embracing a pro-fossil fuel agenda.
‘Net Zero is finished. WE ARE OUT!’ the letter declares, pledging to ‘repeal all the Net Zero legislation and stop the massive handouts to green lobbyists and businesses’.
Hastie’s satirical piece casts Albanese as a populist convert, writing: ‘The Australian people aren’t mugs, and they can smell BS at 100 yards.’
The letter goes on to propose a ‘gas revolution’ and the repeal of Australia’s nuclear ban, while urging Trump to ‘post on Truth Social that we will be open for business’.
It also floats joint ventures on rare earths and AI, warning that ‘a ChatGPT search is ten times more energy intensive than a Google search!!’ and stressing the need for sovereign AI capability.
As a goodwill gesture, Hastie suggested Albanese should ‘divest the Port of Darwin and put it back into Aussie hands’.
Albanese is set to meet Trump in Washington on October 20, with critical minerals, AUKUS, and trade expected to dominate the agenda.
Andrew Hastie (pictured) released a satirical letter, pretending to be Albanese writing to Trump
The mock letter quickly went viral, attracting hundreds of comments.
Supporters praised Hastie’s post.
‘If only this would happen in reality,’ one person said.
‘Andrew you’re the best… I can’t wait to watch [Albanese] in front of Trump,’ another said.
‘You’ve got our family’s support, Andrew. You’re like a ray of sunshine on a cold winter’s day,’ a third said.
Hastie, who recently resigned from the Liberal frontbench after a clash with deputy leader Sussan Ley over immigration policy, has become increasingly vocal online.
In recent weeks, Hastie has taken aim at Net Zero targets and mass migration in a series of posts that have stirred internal party tensions and attracted criticism from government and crossbench MPs.
His latest comments come amid growing strain within the Coalition, with speculation that some Liberal MPs are considering defecting to the Nationals.
Hastie wrote the letter in the voice of Albanese (pictured) who will meet Trump next week
Donald Trump (pictured) and Anthony Albanese will hold their first formal meeting on Monday
Nationals leader David Littleproud has signalled he would welcome any switch, saying he would ‘utilise’ new members to strengthen the party’s influence in the Coalition because ‘that’s the game of politics’.
Adding to the turmoil, reports emerged on Friday that Barnaby Joyce was weighing up a move from the Nationals to One Nation.
Meanwhile, Albanese has been holidaying with his fiancée Jodie Haydon on an undisclosed Pacific island.
It’s their first overseas break since Albanese became Prime Minister in 2022, and he is due back at work this weekend.
