Alan Tudge confirms Peter Dutton will be next leader of the Liberal party

The next leader of the Liberal party has been all but decided, but already WA Premier Mark McGowan has launched into a scathing critique of his values and intellect.

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has stuck the boot into likely Liberal leader Peter Dutton, calling him an “extremist” who is “not that smart” while pleading with the incoming Albanese government to reset relations with China.

“He’s an extremist and I don’t think he fits with modern Australia at all,” said McGowan Monday.

“He doesn’t seem to listen, he’s extremely conservative. I actually don’t think he’s that smart.

“I’ve seen him present on things. I don’t really pick up there’s much there, as opposed to Scott Morrison.”

Mr McGowan, who made headlines around the world for locking up West Australia during the Covid pandemic and creating what many called a “hermit kingdom” added that the new government was a chance to have a “good relationship” with China again.

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has described likely incoming Liberal leader Peter Dutton as “an extremist”. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sharon Smith

“We as a state export half the nation’s exports and the vast majority of that goes to China,” said McGowan, who was routinely critical of Scott Morrison’s attempts to defend Australian sovereignty from an increasingly aggressive Beijing.

Mr McGowan has long been an advocate for improved relations with China and was once praised by Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece The Global Times for being a “sensible” voice on Canberra-Beijing relations.

“I just urge a reset on the relationship.”

“Peter Dutton was the principle one out there talking about war and war footing and conflict and so forth.”

“That’s absolutely crazy,” he said.

ALAN TUDGE CONFIRMS NEXT LIBERAL LEADER

Peter Dutton is almost sure to be the next leader of the Liberals after the party’s moderates suffered crushing defeats in Saturday night’s election.

Support for the conservative Queenslander is firming since the poll, which saw the previous top candidate for the job, former treasurer Josh Frydenberg, ejected from his seat by “teal” independent Monique Ryan.

On Monday, Victorian MP Alan Tudge said “Peter Dutton will be leader. He will be incredibly effective, actually.”

“He will be a very effective leader in holding the Labor Party to account.”

The choice will be cheered by conservatives however support for him will likely be grudging among moderates who believe the party should take more socially progressive positions on issues like climate change and gender diversity to win back inner city seats from “teals” and Greens.

Peter Dutton has been described by one colleague as “an amazing bloke”. Picture: Sky News

NSW Treasurer Matt Kean backed Peter Dutton as “a man who has always fought for Liberal values”.

Mr Kean, a leading moderate faction leader, said the next Liberal leader needed to “heed the lessons of the weekend” and not “lurch too far to the right”.

Mr Kean told Sky News that Mr Dutton is a “pragmatic man that puts the Liberal Party first and puts the nation first”.

“I don’t have a vote in the federal party room, that’s a matter for my federal colleagues. But whoever leads the Liberal Party needs to heed the lessons of the weekend, and that is, if you lurch too far to the right, then you lose the middle ground,” he said.

“I think Peter Dutton is a man that always stood up for our liberal values and I think he’s a man that’s always fought to build a stronger and more secure country for our nation,” Mr Kean said.

State Treasurer Matt Kean has backed Peter Dutton. Picture NCA Newswire/ Gaye Gerard

Mr Dutton has emerged from the wreckage of the Liberals’ election campaign as not only the most likely but virtually the only candidate to take over leadership of the party.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison conceded defeat on ­Saturday night and announced that he would resign from the leadership.

But the most likely contender to take over, outgoing Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, looked almost certain to lose his Melbourne seat of Kooyong to teal independent Monique Ryan, leaving Mr Dutton as almost the last man standing.

Mr Dutton has privately indicated to colleagues he will run.

Insiders have mentioned outgoing energy minister Angus Taylor, home affairs minister Karen Andrews and trade minister Dan Tehan as contenders, but they are not considered a genuine threat.

“Until we have a field of candidates I don’t know who the leader will be but I can only assume Peter Dutton is in the ranks,” Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes told The Daily Telegraph. “He’s an absolute star performer and a terrific ­defence minister.

“He, like Scott, has been unfairly maligned, but those of us who know him know what an amazing guy he is.”

A former Queensland policeman, Mr Dutton has been tough with China and strong on immigration, and reflects Liberal Party values that have been rejected by voters who swung to teal independents in a swath of previously blue-ribbon seats.

Ms Hughes said the party needed to reflect on the results.

“It is clearly time to embrace our values and reaffirm them and not try to reinvent them,” she said.

Formerly a leadership frontrunner, Josh Frydenberg’s seat is in doubt. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

That sentiment was echoed by Senator Simon Birmingham, who told the ABC on Saturday: “The Liberal Party needs to always stand for Liberal values, and we need to make sure we win back voters who should hold those Liberal values.”

He added that he hoped the alliance with the Nationals could continue, despite “the pain” the Liberal Party suffered over its allies’ handling of its climate policies.

Ms Andrews said the leadership was “not a discussion for today”, and Mr Tehan told Sky it was “the last thing on my mind”.

One Liberal MP from the decimated moderate faction said that` even if the “anyone but Dutton” numbers were enough, there were no obvious challengers to him.

Senior Liberals told The Daily Telegraph they believed the rejection of the Coalition by female voters highlighted the need to promote more women through the ranks to better reflect Australia.