No surprise that Peter Dutton is a ‘one flag guy’ and he will use it to fight the next federal election

Donald Trump ran hard against woke and it worked, writes James Campbell, as he weighs in on why it's no surprise that Peter Dutton is a “one flag guy”.

Comment: That Peter Dutton is a one flag guy should surprise no one.

Nor should anyone be shocked that he’s going to lean hard into the anti-woke stuff at the next election.

If there were any Coalition strategists left after the Voice went down still nervous about going full throttle on what the Germans call a ‘Kulturkampf’ those doubters will have been silenced by Donald Trump’s victory.

Trump ran hard against woke and it worked, with Democrats acknowledging his ad claiming Kamala Harris is for ‘they/them’ while Trump is for you, was deadly effective.

Despite the best efforts of few activists, fights over trans-rights have never managed to achieve the same salience they have in the USA.

The ‘woke’ issue that most gets up people’s noses here is fact you can’t get off a plane or log into a government website, or tune into the ABC news without being reminded of the need to acknowledge the traditional owners as well as their elders past, present, and emerging.

Peter Dutton visits the Adass Israel Synagogue, meeting with members from the Jewish Community. Picture: Brendan Beckett

Indeed the only surprise about Dutton’s move is he should have decided to make a thing of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags rather than moving hard on these intrusions into our daily lives.

But don’t worry, it’s pretty clear he’s going to get there before we go to the polls next year.

The immediate response of the Indigenous Australians Minister, Malarndirri McCarthy that Dutton is “once again proving himself unfit to be prime minister” as well as “once again” dividing Australians, will have been music to the Opposition Leader’s ears.

Much smarter was the Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth, who said it was another example of Dutton “just doing what he knows how to do best – try and get a headline with no substance, no real policies about, for example, tackling cost of living or things that really matter to the Australian people.”

In reality however, both would have done better to say nothing.

Australian Opposition Leader Peter Dutton visits the Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea following the recent fire. Picture: NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

Because you know if it’s a choice between giving a full throated endorsement of the three flag status quo or trying to change the subject, I think we know which one Albo will end up choosing, don’t you?

If they wanted to stir the possum Rishworth and McCarthy should have pointed out that Dutton’s state colleagues line up with the federal government on this one.

The Australian Aboriginal flag flies permanently in both chambers of New South Wales Parliament and at Government House Sydney and during its time in office the Perrottet Government promoted the flying of both the Australian and NSW flags.

Similarly the Victorian Liberals voted with Daniel Andrews to make sure the Aboriginal flag flies permanently over the Parliament of Victoria.

And even Tony Abbott from time-to-time appeared in front of all three flags as is evidenced by the photo of his first cabinet meeting back in 2013.

Originally published as No surprise that Peter Dutton is a ‘one flag guy’ and he will use it to fight the next federal election