NSW election 2023: Peter Dutton joins fight at Matt Kean campaign launch

Peter Dutton has quietly joined the NSW election campaign via video, telling Sydney’s Liberal faithful the state needs the Coalition more than ever if the cost of living crisis is to end.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has weighed in to the state election campaign, declaring a Liberal government was needed “like never before” in NSW given the 1980s-style cost of living crisis “created by Labor”.

While acknowledging his own party faced “lots of issues” that it needed to “get over” – particularly at an organisational level, the Liberal leader said now more than ever the State – and nation – needed Liberal economic management.

Without the work the previous Coalition government did at the federal level, strong decisions around national security such as AUKUS “wouldn’t be a reality”, Mr Dutton said.

“We need to make sure that we have the very strong decisions around national security,” he said.

“AUKUS wouldn’t be a reality without the work that we did when we were in government.

“The government wouldn’t be making the announcement … but for what we were able to negotiate with the United States and the United Kingdom.”

Peter Dutton has been criticised for being absent from the NSW election campaign trail. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman

The comments were made in a video address Mr Dutton made to 350 guests crowded in at the Hornsby RSL last week for the election campaign launch of Treasurer Matt Kean, who was this week rumoured to be eyeing off a future career in Canberra.

In the video – seen by The Sunday Telegraph – Mr Dutton apologised for not being able to attend the launch in person, saying he had been “dragged back to Canberra” for a confidential briefing on AUKUS.

“As you know, the prime minister at about eight o’clock our time tomorrow in San Diego will make the announcement on AUKUS and the nuclear submarines,” he said.

“But I really wanted to be there with you in person and to wish Matt and the whole team all the very best.”

NSW Treasurer Matt Kean had Peter Dutton in his corner at his recent campaign launch. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Jeremy Piper

In his speech, Mr Dutton praised Premier Dominic Perrottet and his team for how they had performed “against the media” and “against our detractors”, describing it as “remarkable.”, while also noting the achievements Mr Kean had made “around the environment” and infrastructure.

While the party faced issues, the public were more interested in the cost of living crisis, Mr Dutton said.

“They’re interested in what is important to them into their family and the cost of living crisis created by Labor at the moment is a dilemma – and a growing dilemma – for many families in a way that really we haven’t seen since the 1980s,” he said.

Premier Dominic Perrottet on the campaign trail this week at a Sydnet TAFE. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Nikki Short

“We need liberal economic management at a state and federal level like never before.

“A lot of people have got a very short memory in politics, but don’t forget that it wasn’t that long ago that we were willing the end to a government of Bob Carr and of Morris Iemma and Kristina Keneally and all the hangers on.

“Nobody wants to return back to that.”

As for the future of the Liberal Party, it was “very bright”, he said.

“There’s all that is said in the media about the future of a Liberal Party and relevance to a new generation of Australians and where our place is on a political map,” he said.

“There are lots of issues that we need to get over particularly at an organisational level – we’ll do that.”

Other guests at the $120-a-head launch included Opposition science spokesman Paul Fletcher and Opposition Indigenous Australians spokesman Julian Leeser.