Dutton’s grim warning to Pesutto to not let the Vic Libs morph into ‘Labor lite’

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has taken aim at the Victorian Liberals, warning them not to morph into a softer version of Labor.

Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has offered John Pesutto a warning. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Peter Dutton has taken a swipe at the Victorian Liberals, warning them against being a “lighter version of Labor” and saying current polling shows there are clear problems with the state’s strategy.

The federal Opposition Leader made the damning assessment in a podcast released on Monday, saying the state branch of the party should be streets ahead of Labor.

Despite positive recent polling revealing a surge in the Liberals primary vote and placing the two major parties neck and neck on a two-party preferred basis, Mr Dutton said the Victorian Liberals were still underperforming.

Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton has taken aim at the Victorian Liberals. Picture: Tertius Pickard

“The Victorian Liberal Party should be 10 points ahead of what is a shocking government here in Victorian at the moment and the fact that they’re not indicates that there are problems,” he told host Neil Mitchell.

Mr Dutton said there were several reasons the Victorian Liberals were failing to cut through as he urged leadership to start backing policy ideas that set them apart from Labor.

“There are structural issues, I think as we’ve proven at a federal level, there is no sense just being a lighter version of Labor, I think you need to take policy differences,” he said.

“I think you need to show that you would take the state in a different but better direction.

“And I am sure that John (Pesutto) is in the process of outlining that in the lead up to the next election.”

Dutton said he believes Pesutto is a ‘decent and honourable man’. Picture: Martin Ollman

Asked whether he thought state Opposition Leader John Pesutto was the right man for the job, Mr Dutton said he was “honourable” and would make a great Premier.

“I have a lot of time for John and I think he is a very decent and honourable man and I think he would make a great Premier,” he said.

The comments come just three months after Mr Pesutto – who is also the shadow minister for multicultural affairs – refused to attend a multicultural event in Melbourne alongside Mr Dutton.

It’s understood he pulled out at the last minute because he wasn’t allowed to make a speech.

A spokesman at the time said Mr Pesutto did not attend the event “after being informed it was a federal function”.

Deputy leader David Southwick, and other members of his leadership team including Georgie Crozier and Evan Mulholland, however, attended the event.

Mr Dutton said there were a number of reasons the Victorian Liberals were failing to cut through. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Mr Dutton was also questioned over whether he had spoken to Liberal MP and shadow minister for sport Sam Groth about his career ambitions after he was named as a potential challenger for leadership.

Mr Groth recently met with former prime minister John Howard and is understood to have sought advice on progressing his career.

Mr Dutton, however, said he hadn’t had “that conversation with him”.

“But again, he’s a person of great capacity, he’d be a great minister and he’s got ambitions as most people do in politics and I don’t think people should be ashamed of that,” he said.