‘With due respect’: Host shocked by interview reply of thief turned politician Jordan Dittloff

A TV reporter was left incredulous by a convicted criminal turned politician who robbed almost $300,000 but complained it was MPs that “stole”.

A convicted thief who is now standing for parliament has stunned a TV reporter when he accused politicians in Canberra of “stealing”.

“With all due respect,” an incredulous Alexis Daish said to Libertarian Party candidate Jordan Dittloff on Nine’s A Current Affair.

“You stole $277,000 from a community. So I’m not sure having a crack at politicians in Canberra for stealing money is probably something you can do”.

Dittloff, who is standing for a Victorian senate seat, insisted his point stood.

However, many victims of Dittloff’s swindles say they are yet to be repaid the money they are owed by the aspiring politician.

Dittloff ran the Ace Travel agency in Colac, 150km south west of Melbourne, between July 2014 and May 2015.

During that time he stole $277,994 form 47 customers. That included money paid for holidays, family visits and even a scouts trip to Fiji which never eventuated.

Jordan Dittloff leaves the Melbourne Magistrates Court in 2015. He would later be imprisoned. Picture: Ian Currie

Glow up Jordan Dittloff who now aspired to be a politician.

At his sentencing in 2015, County Court Judge Gerard Mullaly described Dittloff’s actions as “callous and selfish, dishonest” and a “galling level of greed,” reported the Herald Sun.

Dittloff spent two years in prison and was released in 2017.

“I looked people in the eye, I accepted money they paid for their trips and I used that money to pay for other trips that had been booked earlier to generate documents,” he told ACA reporter Daish.

Ace Travel in Colac which Dittloff stole his customers’ money from. Picture: Mark Stewart

‘Show that I’m sorry’

Since leaving jail he’s booked his own journey – a “road to Damascus” experience, where he says he’s turned away from his criminal past.

Dittloff told the program he had repaid $34,638 of the money he robbed and two of his victims had now been completely reimbursed. He said he hoped to fully clear his debt within the next decade.

“I’ve been trying to show that I’m sorry. I’ve also been able to study my law degree and able to use my experiences to help other people in the criminal justice system.

“’I've completed a (certificate) for drug and alcohol counselling and I’ve been working with volunteer organisations”.

But perhaps Dittloff’s most surprising post-prison swerve has been into politics where he is standing for a party whose cornerstone is reducing the role of government in people’s lives.

Once criminals have served their sentences they can stand for parliament.

“I’ll be on every ballot paper that Victorians will be able to vote on.”

But Daish asked him why he “deserved a seat,” after the harm he had caused which for many people he has yet to undo.

“I’m not telling anybody that they should trust me or must trust me,

“All I’m asking is that they look at what I’ve done since that time”.

Dittloff said he was sorry and would pay back the money he stole within a decade. Picture: Nine.

‘Beggars belief’

One of Dittloff’s victims told A Current Affair that he hadn’t done enough since his time behind bars.

Stuart Kyle lost $10,990 to Dittloff which he had paid Ace Travel for a trip to Asia.

Mr Kyle, from Kaniva near the South Australian border, said he was “gobsmacked,” about Dittloff’s new career ambition.

“He hasn’t paid me my money back.

“It beggar’s belief. How does a person do all this and then think they’ve got any chance of getting into a position like that?”

Daish put it to Dittloff that one of the key tenant of being a politician was “serving your community”.

“(But) you stole from your community.”

Reporter Alexis Daish told Dittloff having a crack at “stealing” politician was a bit rich. Picture: Nine.

“Why did he deserve a seat,” she asked. Picture: Nine.

“I did and that was wrong,” he replied. “And that’s something I own and I don’t hide away from”.

However, Dittloff’s vague comment that “there are a lot of people in Canberra who steal,” was the most eyebrow raising given he had been imprisoned for actually stealing.

“They’re not sorry for it,” he said.

For Daish, it was all a bit rich for Dittloff to “have a crack” given his record.

“I understand but my past mistakes don’t excuse the situation we have in Canberra.”

Daish said to Dittloff that “Politicians make a lot of promises,” and asked if he would keep his to repay the money he stole.

“Absolutely I will,” he replied.

Mr Kyle said he could start with his missing $10,990.

“If he wants to ring me I can give him my bank account. If he’d like to put some money in there, that would be very well received,” said Mr Kyle.