[10][11] Bastiaan has been critical of lobbyist and union involvement within political parties, stating "Union or lobbyist domination of governments leads to broad-based supporter disenchantment, political cronyism and widespread voter disillusionment.”[12] Bastiaan was a supporter of the NSW Liberal Party Democratic Reform, speaking alongside former Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

[15] In September 2018 Bastiaan announced that, due to the serious illness of an immediate family member, he and his wife Stephanie would step down from their voluntary roles within the party.

[3][16] The Age newspaper reported leaked text and Facebook messages allegedly from Liberal Party administrative committee members Paul Mitchell and Bastiaan that used homophobic and racist terms.

[28][29][30] Bastiaan launched legal proceedings against Nine Entertainment (the owner of the Nine Network, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald) following the 60 Minutes program.

Nine Entertainment settled a defamation lawsuit with Bastiaan, leading to the removal of dozens of articles and social media posts.

He continues to be involved in internal Liberal Party politics and advocates for policy issues, writing and appearing in the media.

[38][39][40] Bastiaan has been critical of government led forestry closures in Victoria and NSW, due to the impact on businesses within the sector and regional communities.