Labor to target wavering Victorian Liberal voters with reminder that Peter Dutton was ‘nearly PM’

Peter Dutton is “toxic” to the Liberal brand in Victoria after his role in knifing Malcolm Turnbull, new research shows — and Labor is set to tap in on that sentiment in a new campaign.

Peter Dutton will be the centrepiece of Labor’s negative campaign in Victoria, with the party to roll out a series of advertisements attacking the Home Affairs Minister from this week.

The negative ads come off the back of Labor’s latest internal tracking research showing the Queenslander is toxic to the Liberal brand in Victoria over his role in knifing Malcolm Turnbull.

It is understood Liberal Party polling has shown similar results in Victoria, putting Mr Dutton on a negative favourability rating of around minus 50.

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The Election poster sanctioned by Victorian Labor.

Labor believes the strategy can help it steal votes from traditional Liberal supporters in Health Minister Greg Hunt’s seat of Flinders and Urban Infrastructure Minister Alan Tudge’s seat of Aston, as well as Deakin and Menzies.

One Victorian voter told Labor Party researchers: “Even though I normally vote Liberal I’d love to see Peter Dutton and Tony Abbott stitched up.”

“I am a Liberal voter but this time I just can’t because of what Peter Dutton did to Malcolm Turnbull,” another said.

The ads come after Mr Dutton accused his Labor opponent in the seat of Dickson, Ali France, of using her disability “as an excuse” for not living in the electorate.

Mr Dutton apologised on Twitter for the comments after coming under fire for more than 24 hours.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton (right) and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann were key players in the plot to overthrow Malcolm Turnbull.

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Labor’s campaign spokesman Jim Chalmers on Sunday said Mr Dutton’s apology was “too little, too late”.

The Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union used similar images during the Victorian election in an attempt to gain leverage from last year’s Canberra coup.

It included images of Opposition Leader Matthew Guy with Mr Dutton, Tony Abbott and Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Mr Dutton annoyed some last year when he told a Sydney radio station Victorians were “scared to go out to restaurants of a night time because they are followed home by these gangs” and were worried about home invasions and cars being stolen.

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