Anthony Albanese fires up dirt unit to target Peter Dutton

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has moved to beef-up the federal government’s “dirt unit”, with insiders saying there are big plans to ramp its attacks on Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.

Exclusive: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has moved to beef-up the federal government’s “dirt unit”, with insiders saying there are big plans to ramp its attacks on Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.

Labor sources have told The Sunday Telegraph that staff in the Prime Minister’s office have in recent weeks been ­diverted into a research unit tasked with investigating the government’s opponents.

The decision to position it inside the PMO has raised ­eyebrows inside the ­government.

Governments have for ­decades employed staff to undertake research on their opponents.

But, under previous government, this work has usually been carried out by staff ­employed in backbench liaison roles — such as the Government Members Secretariat that ­operated under the John Howard government.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese lands in Sydney with partner Jodie Haydon on Saturday following their trip to the US. Picture: David Swift

Insiders have claimed the creation of the unit was a reversal for Mr Albanese, who had earlier made it clear his distaste for opposition research that in the past has led to scandals involving misuse of taxpayer-funded allowances.

The establishment of the dirt unit comes as sources said the government plans to raise the heat on Mr Dutton.

One source said that “since the Voice” it had been decided “there is going to be a focus on going after Dutton personally.”

Labor insiders have for some time complained about the ad hoc manner in which the party has been conducting ­opposition research.

In March last year a war game run by Julia Gillard’s former chief-of-staff ahead of the May election campaign revealed the party had a lack of research on its opponents.

Under former leader Bill Shorten, the then Labor ­opposition had a dedicated research unit that regularly fed stories to the media on the ALP’s opponents.

That team is believed to have been responsible for digging up the “Choppergate” scandal that led to the downfall of ­former speaker Bronwyn Bishop as well as the story that led to the resignation of minister Sussan Ley, who had used a taxpayer-funded Comcar on the way to buy an apartment.