Dutton flies to Canberra for heartfelt send-off with staff, vows ‘dignified’ silence

Former opposition leader Peter Dutton has appeared in public for the first time since he lost his Brisbane seat of Dickson in Labor’s landslide, vowing to maintain dignified silence as his party rebuilt.

The 54-year-old flew alone on a Qantas Link flight from Brisbane to Canberra after midday. He gave brief remarks to reporters before heading to his Parliament House office to give a heartfelt speech, where he was heard saying “thank you” to his team.

Peter Dutton arrives in Canberra on WednesdayCredit: James Brickwood

Dutton received several rounds of applause from his staff, who travelled to Canberra to farewell their boss as he heads into life after politics. Across the building in the ministerial wing, re-elected prime minister Anthony Albanese was working in his office.

Dutton said at Canberra airport that there were “lots of opportunities” for him after leaving politics. One of his friends told this masthead they expected Dutton would take a break before working in the defence or national security sectors.

“I feel there are lots of opportunities but most importantly, to spend some time with family and friends and that’s about it,” Dutton said.

He said he had been feeling “very good” at a personal level and would not be commentating on the direction of the party or the leadership contest likely to be contested by Angus Taylor and Sussan Ley.

“The easiest thing for former leaders to do is to maintain a graceful silence,” Dutton said.

A close confidante of Dutton said the vanquished leader would not play any role in the leadership contest. Ley was Dutton’s deputy, but the pair were not particularly close either personally or factionally.

While Dutton built up goodwill and authority among colleagues over the past few years, many MPs reeling from the defeat felt Dutton and his office were controlling and uncollaborative during the disastrous campaign.

Taylor and Dutton worked more closely, were both members of the right faction and Taylor handled Dutton’s factional affairs in NSW.

A member of parliament since 2001, Dutton is entitled to a taxpayer-funded pension worth millions of dollars over future decades.

He lost his seat of Dickson within hours of polls closing on Saturday, a personal defeat that compounded the dire national result that led to the Liberal Party worst federal election result since its founding in 1944.

Dutton had a 7 per cent drop in his primary vote and Labor’s Ali France, who was running in Dickson for the third time, secured a 7.2 per cent two-party preferred swing to defeat Dutton.

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