Premier Jacinta Allan finally responds to Peter Dutton ‘attack’ meme by Labor Party

Premier Jacinta Allan has declared families are “off limits” when it comes to politics, days after the Labor Party shared a social media post attacking Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s wife. 

Premier Jacinta Allan has backed Anthony Albanese’s demands to have a controversial Victorian Labor Party meme about Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s wife removed from social media.

Amid growing pressure to respond to the post, which was taken down on Monday night, Ms Allan released a statement saying: “The post has been removed, that’s appropriate - families must be off limits.”

Her comment comes more than 24 hours after the post was made and shared online, with people labelling it “grubby politics.”

Jacinta Allan says a controversial meme about Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s wife should be removed from social media. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

On Monday night the federal government requested the Victorian branch take down the post.

At the time a spokesman for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said when the post was drawn to his attention that he “demanded it be taken down”.

“Families should be off ­limits,” they said.

The post was seen as a personal attack on the Duttons and featured a 2019 newspaper photo of Ms Dutton, who remarked about her husband: “He is not a monster.”

The post was captioned “We all know that one couple,” with a subheading that read: “Justifying dating your new partner to friends who don’t like him.”

Victorian state secretary Steve Staikos had defended the post initially, saying, “It’s not a personal attack at all”.

“It’s supposed to be a comedic meme.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ‘demanded’ the social media post be removed when it came to his attention. Picture: NewsWire

But Mr Staikos went to ground on Tuesday, not responding to media after it was taken down.

New Victorian Liberal leader Brad Battin slammed Ms Allan’s slow response to the saga.

“‘The standard you walk past is the standard you accept, Premier Allan had an opportunity to call out this behaviour from her own party, but chose to stay silent and allow the Victorian Labor Party to target Mr Dutton’s wife.”

“These kinds of comments should never be used; politics must be above this.”

Mr Albanese did not make further comment on Tuesday but Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said he was glad Victorian Labor’s social media post was taken down.

“It was stupid and it was wrong and I’m glad it’s been taken down,” Mr Clare said.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and his wife were the subjects of the nasty social media post earlier this week. Picture: NewsWire

“A family should be off limits. We’re on the ballot paper, not our partners. And that’s why when the Prime Minister saw it, he demanded that it be ripped down.”

Mr Dutton issued a statement on Monday night after the post was brought to his attention saying his campaign would not target family members, such as the Prime Minister’s fiancee, Jodie Haydon.

“I can assure you: the Liberal Party I lead will not be targeting Jodie Haydon,” he said in a statement.

“I respect and like Jodie but she is not an elected official and will not be the subject of humiliation, attack ads or public smear by the Liberal Party.

“I would ask the PM to equally respect my wife.”

Originally published as Premier Jacinta Allan finally responds to Peter Dutton ‘attack’ meme by Labor Party