Opinion: Why Peter Dutton is the man to be PM

BEHEADING a prime minister is never nice, but in this case it’s being done for the right reason, writes Peter Gleeson.

QUEENSLANDERS — and the rest of the country — should not be distracted by the hurly burly leadership nonsense that is plaguing the federal Liberal Party.

It’s a good thing for Australia. Our political commentariat have been salivating at events of the past few days, writing off the Coalition because of its internal division.

PM’s own fault

What happens next

Cabinet wipeout

Seriously? Remember Keating v Hawke? Remember Rudd v Gillard v Rudd?

Short memories, folks. Ruthless decision-making in politics is nothing new.

It happens every day. And let’s face it, it occurs every day in elite sport and the corporate world.

Coaches and CEOs are quickly shown the door if they don’t measure up.

This week in Canberra is not about delivering the Last Rites to the Coalition but changing leaders to give it a fighting chance at the next election.

The Coalition were headed for political oblivion at the next election under Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

His inability to differentiate the conservatives from Labor on energy, education and migration were fundamental policy flaws.

That’s why Queenslander Peter Dutton is the right man to lead the country and take the fight up to Bill Shorten at the next election.

Peter Dutton (right) will be an antidote to the Labor Lite approach of Malcolm Turnbull.

The straight-talking, take-no-prisoners Queenslander offers Australia aspiration and hope.

Shorten’s socialist agenda rewards the slackers, not the doers.

Dutton will continue to stop the boats, Shorten will open the floodgates again.

Dutton will pull Australia out of the Paris Agreement, stabilising power prices and abandoning crazy emissions targets that guarantee blackouts.

Shorten, a hostage to the Greens, will pursue renewable targets that will make us uncompetitive with the rest of the world.

Dutton will ensure hard-working Australians get the personal tax cuts they deserve.

Shorten will send us broke, serving his union masters who call the shots.

Shorten will also raid the pension funds of retirees, install negative gearing and tax business to raise funds for more welfare handouts.

Dutton won’t die wondering.

He understands that Australians want a choice in their major parties.

Labor Lite under Turnbull didn’t work.

Those close to Dutton speak of a bloke who is fiercely passionate about two things: his country and his family.

They say he is blessed with self-discipline and fearlessness, both vital attributes to leadership.

A family man, father to Rebecca, Tom and Harry, Dutton has made judicious personal investments, and for that he should be looked upon positively, not sneered at by Labor voters who are envious of anyone who gets ahead.

Illustration: John Tiedemann

The real benefit of Dutton for the Coalition is that he will win back disenchanted “conservatives’’ who in recent years have fled the Liberal Party and gone to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.

Mr Dutton’s battle for Dickson has just gone to another level.

The likes of the CFMEU, GetUp! and the Labor Party faithful will double down in their attempt to beat him.

Knocking over an incumbent prime minister will be seen as the Holy Grail to those who have sipped the Labor Party Kool-Aid.

And therein lies the reason that Peter Dutton will be the Coalition’s best asset. An ex-cop, he’s good in a scrap. Against all odds, he’s held Dickson for 17 years.

Dutton is a winner.

The only way the Coalition will beat Labor is to get down and dirty and take them on in hand-to-hand combat.

Labor plays for keeps. They are match-fit and hungry.

The Liberal National Party needs to change its flaccid electioneering culture. Dutton can do that.

He can help stem the Coalition’s voter bleeding in Queensland, starkly on display at the Longman by election.

Beheading a prime minister is never nice, but it’s being done for the right reason: stopping Bill Shorten getting the keys to The Lodge.