Joe Hildebrand: Peter Dutton on the ropes in cage fight with Trump and Albanese

Not since Tony Abbott vowed to “shirt-front” Vladimir Putin a decade ago have world leaders been put on notice by the pugilistic skills of a Liberal leader, writes Joe Hildebrand. SEE THE VIDEO

There are two things that have been missing in this election campaign so far: Structural economic reform and a UFC cage match.

Thankfully Peter Dutton has stepped up to at least deliver the latter, with his vow to fight Donald Trump.

This of course has come as a surprise to many on the right, who quite like Donald Trump.

And it has come as a surprise to many on the left, who thought Peter Dutton was Donald Trump.

But this election campaign has been nothing if not full of surprises, and it’s only week one.

Peter Dutton has found himself in a cage fight with both Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump.

Not since Tony Abbott vowed to “shirt-front” Vladimir Putin a decade ago have world leaders been put on notice by the pugilistic skills of a Liberal Leader.

“If I needed to have a fight with Donald Trump or any other world leader to advance our nation’s interests, I’d do it in a heartbeat,” Dutton told Sky News this morning.

And good on him. Of course we want Australian politicians to stand up for Australia.

The problem is that Dutton has been forced into taking such a strong position because of the perception that he is cut from the same cloth as the Trumpster.

This was all well and good when Trump was riding high after his emphatic election win at the end of last year — which uncannily coincided with Dutton’s peak in popularity.

But now that the US President appears to have turned on Australia, or at least is treating us with flagrant disregard, any association with him is political poison.

And Trump is such a huge political figure and global headline generator that there is no escaping him. As another former president once demanded, you have to declare if you’re with him or against him.

And now that Dutto’s threatened to go toe-to-toe with the Donald, Albo’s accused him of going too far and being too “aggro”.

Honestly, there’s just no pleasing some people.

And this is where Labor has the Opposition Leader on the ropes: If he goes one way he’s accused of being too much like Trump, if he goes the other way he’s accused of being too much like Albo.

Is it fair? No, it’s politics.

Originally published as Joe Hildebrand: Peter Dutton on the ropes in cage fight with Trump and Albanese