Why Peter Dutton must back Price — and more — to become next PM | Andrew Bolt

The Albanese government is in strife and now Peter Dutton has a sniff of becoming the nation’s next prime minister — but he has to go bigger. Here’s what’s on his to-do list.

Peter Dutton needs more. The Opposition Leader has a sniff of becoming our next prime minister but must win so many seats that he’s got to go bigger.

Sure, he has some time. The Albanese government is in such strife that it’s likely to delay an election to April or even May, hoping interest rates will then be falling.

But here’s a to-do list, beyond giving us his expected elected policies.

Reshuffle now

I’ll say it again. Dutton must promote Jacinta Nampijinpa Price to a frontline portfolio.

Price did more than anyone to defeat Labor’s racist Voice in the 2023 referendum. She made a devastating pairing with Dutton.

The Resolve Poll says she’s Coalition’s most liked politician. The Morgan Poll says she’s the most trusted.

She’s also brave and articulate, and – valuable for the Coalition – a woman and of Aboriginal ancestry.

Why is this hugely effective woman left sidelined as Indigenous Australians spokesman – other than internal jealousies? Picture: Steve Pohlner

Why is this hugely effective woman left sidelined as Indigenous Australians spokesman – other than internal jealousies?

Give her a welfare programs as well, to merge with her Indigenous Australians one and hand out welfare according to need, not race.

Doesn’t that fit Dutton’s popular push to fly just the Australian flag, not two race ones as well?

And why are some of the Coalition’s most effective communicators still backbenchers? Promote Matt Canavan, Dave Sharma, Keith Wolahan, Garth Hamilton, Aaron Violi, Julian Leeser, Zoe McKenzie and Alex Antic.

Anthony Albanese refused twice in the past week to defend his own regulation allowing woke councils to ban citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day. Picture: John Gass

More ‘Culture Wars’

Yes, the election will be decided most by the economy. Australians are poorer, inflation is still too high, our electricity system is crumbling, mass immigration is creating a housing crisis.

Dutton, who’s become very authoritative, has that bit covered, asking: are you better off?

But Donald Trump and conservative parties around the West have proved that voters now doing it tough have become sick of woke politicians who don’t respect their culture, their traditions and their borders.

That’s why Dutton is having such success resisting the Left’s culture wars. His biggest political coup was defeating Labor’s Voice. His campaign now against the shocking Jew hatred is exposing Labor as craven and dangerous to our unity.

This week Dutton stepped it up, promising to scrap the Albanese government’s regulation allowing woke councils to ban citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day.

Again, he’s on a winner. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese refused twice in the past week to defend his own regulation, deflecting instead by saying he’d be at a January 26 ceremony.

Dutton’s campaign now against the shocking Jew hatred is exposing Labor as craven and dangerous to our unity. Picture: David Geraghty

Razz up the troops

Too often Dutton seems almost alone in cultural battles, leaving aside some fine exceptions such as Price, Canavan and Home Affairs spokesman James Paterson. This can make Dutton, who’s new in fighting them, look like he’s just blowing thought bubbles with no real intellectual grunt.

It is a pity that articulate Coalition MPs such as Wolahan, McKenzie, Leeser, shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor and capable Finance spokesman Jane Hume don’t join in. Some seemed scared to be tainted as conservatives in what’s in fact the party for conservatives.

Dutton can’t force them to fight causes they dislike, and probably fears trying. But are there enough lectures, presentations and papers to the party room – enough serious work on what’s derided as “ideology” – to open minds on cultural issues that a generation of Liberal MPs became too timid or incurious to fight? Can’t Dutton appoint a trailblazer to a shadow ministry?

Here are a few such issues: how global warming ideology is deindustrialising the West; why green power can’t power a 21st century economy; how identity politics destroys trust and community cohesion; why nationalism matters in this age of tribalism.

It was a mistake for Dutton to back Labor’s unworkable plan to ban children under 16 from popular social media platforms.

More freedom

More Australians are worrying that their free speech is being stifled in this new cancel culture. That’s already forced the government to drop plans to censor social media.

So it was a mistake for Dutton to back Labor’s unworkable plan to ban children under 16 from popular social media platforms.

Still, here’s another freedom agenda: limit compulsory superannuation to 9 per cent and let Australians access their super to buy a house – more than the $50,000 Dutton says he’d allow.

What’s the best hope Australians have to fund their retirement? By using their super to buy their own home, or rent and hope they’ll get enough super back when they’re 65?

Who should decide? The government or the people whose money this is?

There’s more I could add, like scrapping the green tape used to ban or cause costly delays to coal, gas and even gold projects.

But that’s enough to get on with. Fast.