Analysis: It’s time to shake things up. Peter Dutton is divorcing from Trump and Musk

Peter Dutton is taking up residence at the political Heartbreak Hotel as he navigates his ideological split from DOGE — but has the damage been done?

Peter Dutton is filing for political divorce. Picture: Supplied

Peter Dutton is filing for political divorce.

The Opposition leader has never explicitly declared some of the Coalition’s more strident policies targeting the public service and “government waste” were inspired by Donald Trump, but he has long allowed the implied association.

But now Mr Dutton is putting as much distance as he can between himself and the US President, offloading Trump-lite policies he was spruiking only 48 hours ago as good for the country and the economy.

In a lengthy press conference announcing the backflip on Monday, Mr Dutton never strayed from his economic message.

Mr Dutton is putting as much distance as he can between himself and the US President, offloading Trump-lite policies he was spruiking only 48 hours ago as good for the country and the economy. Picture Thomas Lisson / NewsWire

It took reporters multiple attempts to get him to address the fact his ban on Canberra servants working from home and pledge to cut 41,000 public sector jobs had been deeply unpopular with the electorate, and particularly women.

Mr Dutton mostly blamed Labor’s scare campaigns on the issue, having earlier conceded the Coalition essentially allowed the government to outplay them politically.

But he still ended up in treacherous waters when his answer to a question about how he could win back support from women strayed into talking points about small business and how a 25 cents a litre fuel excise would help tradies filling up their utes.

Of course, there are many female small business owners and specifically tradies for that matter, but it was perhaps not the best illustration of his understanding that WFH was highly valued by professional working women.

Falling back on economic management is a smart strategy, but the damage by association with Mr Trump may already be done. Picture: NewsWire / AP Pool

Asked point-blank if he would be putting some distance from himself and Mr Trump’s policies, Mr Dutton defended his decisions like elevating NT Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price to the DOGE-esque role of opposition spokeswoman for government efficiency.

He insisted to not look for wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars was to actively condone it.

But in dumping of unpopular policies and even saying last week he would happily “fight” Mr Trump on tariffs if required, it’s clear the Coalition leader is now actively trying to split from the President.

He argued in the event of a recession in the US – an increasingly likely possibility due to the economic turmoil caused by Mr Trump’s sweeping import taxes on every country – it was the Coalition who would be best placed to steer Australia’s economy through it.

Falling back on economic management is a smart strategy, but the damage by association with Mr Trump may already be done.