Amanda Vanstone, a prominent figure in the Liberal Party and a veteran of leadership contests since the 1980s, has criticized Andrew Hastie for his lack of teamwork. The former South Australian senator emphasized that the Coalition must reclaim the political center to have a chance at returning to government. Vanstone expressed concern that Hastie's focus on populist economic and immigration policies may hinder the party's efforts to regain its lost inner-city seats, often referred to as the "Menzies seats."

"He could be a better team player than he's displaying at the moment," Vanstone said in an interview. She acknowledged the frustration that can arise when a party's direction diverges from one's preferences but reminded Hastie that the party does not belong to him. "You don't own it … it's owned, in a sense, by the people who vote for it, not you," she added.

Vanstone's comments come amid a series of controversial social media and media appearances by Hastie, who serves as the shadow home affairs spokesman. His outspoken remarks, including those from recently dismissed frontbencher Jacinta Nampijimpa Price, have sparked speculation about the stability of Sussan Ley's leadership.

"You are not the star of the show," Vanstone stated. "Your job is to convince the people in your party room of the merit of the course of action you wanted. If you can't convince them, why do you think you should be able to go and blab to the public at large?"

In recent weeks, Hastie has voiced strong opposition to net-zero emissions policies and acknowledged that his stance might jeopardize his position on the Coalition's front bench. He has also expressed concerns about the decline of Australian manufacturing and the erosion of Western values. Recently, he claimed that immigration has made Australians feel like "strangers in our own home," a statement that Vanstone, who previously served as immigration minister, disagreed with.

"I don't feel that. I don't feel a stranger in my own country at all," she said. "I know that we're an immigration country. I didn't need to have the immigration job to learn that. Unless you're a full-blood Indigenous Australian, and there's precious few of them left, you've got migrant blood in your veins. So we are an immigration country. People who want to rail against it are railing against the core, the essence of who we are."

Hastie's recent social media activity, which has included criticism of party colleagues, has drawn backlash from some members who have urged him to temper his comments. In response, Hastie labeled those who questioned his posts as "nameless cowards" and "muppets."

Vanstone acknowledged Hastie's frustrations but warned that his confrontational style could jeopardize his future within the party. "I've seen quite a few leadership aspirants over my time, and my own experience was that myself and other colleagues were never impressed with people who went out and shot their mouth off," she said.

Despite her criticisms, Vanstone recognized that Hastie may have valid concerns. "We don't always have our best day. We can feel frustrated. We can blurt things out we wish later we hadn't. So I wouldn't judge [harshly] Andrew Hastie totally on this," she noted.

However, she stressed that unity is essential for the Coalition to have any chance of winning government. "You've got to get into government," she concluded.