On a mission to be prime minister, Peter Dutton says ‘I’m determined to succeed’

Peter Dutton says the Liberal Party is under new management and ready to govern, as he reveals his life motto and vision for the nation.

Peter Dutton with his wife Kirilly at their Queensland property, north of Brisbane. Picture: Paul Harris

You can now listen to The Australian's articles. Give us your feedback.

You can now listen to The Australian's articles.

Peter Dutton is seated behind a desk on a visit to Sydney, a forest of CBD towers and the harbour in view, and he is making notes when I arrive. He is tall and imposing, with a steely focus and determined gaze, cool-headed, calm and direct. He is on a mission to be prime minister, dispatching the Albanese government to history after just one term.

We chat about the coming election campaign as we sit down at a small table and Dutton, 54, positions notes in front of him that he never looks at during the interview. I ask about his vision for Australia and he offers without pause: “I want Australians to live in a safe environment and to achieve whatever it is that they dream of for themselves and their children.”

It would be a mistake to underestimate Dutton, a point I made when he became leader three years ago. Some polls have him with higher net approval than Anthony Albanese, although neither scales the heights of popularity. He wants to be the first opposition leader to return their party to power after a single term in opposition since Andrew Fisher in 1914. The seats needed for a majority – 19 plus reclaiming three seats held by party defectors – would require a Coalition landslide.

The Opposition Leader has put forward bold policies such as a nuclear power industry for Australia and a referendum on powers to deport criminal dual nationals to distinguish the Coalition from Labor. He has narrowed the contest in other areas by endorsing Labor initiatives on the National Disability Insurance Scheme, aged care and Medicare. In his budget reply, Dutton pledged to cut fuel excise to counter-bid Labor’s “top up” tax cuts.

In a similarly illuminating and comprehensive interview, Dutton says:

● He will seek an early swearing-in as prime minister, within days, if the Coalition wins the election.

● He will make Kirribilli House his primary residence and live in the Lodge when in Canberra.

● He will win public support for his nuclear plan and this, in turn, will ensure local and state government and Senate approval will follow.

● Australia can rely on the US, led by Donald Trump, if its security is endangered.

● He will put a referendum to recognise Indigenous Australians in the preamble to the Constitution and introduce four-year parliamentary terms if bipartisan agreement can be reached.

A national leader, Dutton says, must be able to deal with unexpected “day-to-day” issues while focusing on “medium and long-term” policies. A prime minister must have superior communication skills, clear values and vision, and be able to make “tough decisions” that are unpopular.

Peter Dutton with his wife Kirilly and their dog Ralph at their Queensland property. Picture: Paul Harris

He is the 15th Liberal leader and the first from Queensland. Dutton put his imprint on the party when he said after the 2022 election that the Liberal Party, correctly, was not formed to be a moderate or conservative party but a liberal party. He subscribes to John Howard’s formulation of being the custodian of liberal and conservative values. He also emphasises enterprise as a core value.

“It is about supporting enterprise and endeavour and entrepreneurialism,” he says.

“An economy where people can prosper and a particular focus on small business … and people who are working second and third jobs, and people who are seeking to turn a micro online start-up into a national enterprise, and for me that’s what the Liberal Party represents.”

In high school, Dutton became interested in politics. His father, Bruce, ran a building company that was affected by the 1990s recession. Although shy, the young Dutton gained confidence working in a butcher’s shop and stood for a Queensland state seat at age 19. The driving influences in his decision to enter federal politics in 2001 was his father’s business experience and his own time in the police force. He was frustrated that victims did not always receive justice. He developed a copper’s instinct in how to judge people and situations quickly, which also can be a useful skill in politics.

A younger Dutton with wife Kirilly. Picture: 60 Minutes

“But it’s more than that,” Dutton says. “It’s the ability to walk into somebody’s home at 10 o’clock at night and talk to them about the most traumatic experience of their lifetime and the next day be in court giving evidence before a judge and a jury.”

There was a determined effort to present a different side of Dutton when he became Opposition Leader, eager to move on from the tough-man image defined by his portfolios in government (immigration and border protection, home affairs, defence) and his ruthless attempt to bring down Malcolm Turnbull in 2018. It worked. He says there has been a “transformation” in how people now perceive him.

The opposition leader with his family; wife Kirilly, daughter Rebecca and teenage sons Tom and Harry, near the federal government offices in Brisbane in 2022. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

In managing the demands and pressures of politics across a long period, Dutton says he is able to “switch off” and “recharge the batteries” by spending time with wife Kirilly and children Rebecca, Tom and Harry. “I have a capacity to turn that pressure into fuel in the tank,” he says. “It makes me more determined to succeed.”

Dutton says his father, Bruce, came from a strong Catholic family and his mother, Ailsa, from a Protestant family, which caused some “tension” growing up. He went to an Anglican school and now identifies with the Catholic Church but notes he is not “a regular church attendee”. He argues Christian teachings align with Liberal Party values.

His flagship policy is to introduce a nuclear power industry that is reliable, safe and produces zero emissions. There are still significant hurdles including cost, development and construction time, workforce requirements and regulations. But Dutton is convinced this is the right strategy for Australia that aligns with AUKUS and, in the long run, will reduce power bills.

“I think we can get consensus,” Dutton says. “The Labor Party is going to catch up with the reality at some point. My honest contention is that the Labor Party has zero hope of getting to net zero by 2050 with their plan. Our project is actually proven technology and it’s working in comparable countries. The Labor government doesn’t have a concrete plan to provide that baseline power.”

Dutton says there has been a ‘transformation’ in how people now perceive him. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

If the Coalition wins the election, Dutton says he will make an early first visit to the US and meet Donald Trump. Although Europe and Canada are questioning whether they can rely on the US to provide a security guarantee, Dutton says he believes Trump will come to Australia’s defence if imperilled.

“Yes, because I think the ANZUS alliance is bigger than any prime minister or president,” he says.

“The one thing that struck me about my relationship with both Republicans and Democrats over the course of the last 2½ decades is that, without exception, they consider Australia to be the most reliable ally.”

Dutton says he believes Trump will come to Australia’s defence if imperilled. Picture: Frank Ling

The alliance, of course, works both ways. In 2021, Dutton told me if the US defended Taiwan against an invasion by China “it would be inconceivable that we wouldn’t support the US in that action”. Those comments were reported around the world.

Today, Dutton says Australia needs to be “frank” and “respectful” in its relations with China, which can be improved.

The Coalition’s policy agenda is somewhat undercooked. The budget reply with initiatives on taxation, energy and housing is a step forward. Tax breaks for business-related meals and entertainment was certainly half-baked. Major policy announcements are being held for the election campaign, nervous shadow ministers and backbenchers have been told, and unity must be maintained on this strategy.

Having successfully prosecuted the No case on the voice referendum, Dutton would consider a referendum to provide governments the powers to strip serious criminals of their dual citizenship. He also would like to revisit inserting a preamble into the Constitution that provides Indigenous recognition if there is bipartisanship. “I hope at some stage there will be common ground,” he says. The same applies for four-year parliamentary terms, which he also supports.

It will be a tall order for Dutton to convince voters to return the Coalition to power given memories of several leadership challenges, policy backflipping and backsliding, and Scott Morrison’s integrity and administrative failures such as secretly holding several ministries during the pandemic.

To reflect on the Coalition’s last period in power, 2013-22, I ask for an assessment of his predecessors. Tony Abbott? “Stoic,” Dutton says. Turnbull? “Huge promise and ultimate disappointment.” Morrison? “A shrewd political operative.” Plenty to unpack there. Dutton insists the Liberal Party has learned the lessons of disunity and demonstrated it is ready to return to government. At the 2022 election, though, the Liberals lost to Labor, Greens and teals many blue-ribbon heartland seats that had been held by the party since the 1940s and 50s.

It remains to be seen whether the existential crisis that confronted the party has been satisfactorily addressed. Dutton says: “The Liberal Party is under new management.

“I would ask people to examine our policies and examine my statements in regard to issues that are important to them and to look at the stability that we have had as a party over the last three years in contrast to the period before that.

“At this election, it’s not just about the Liberal Party. It’s about voting out a bad government, and the Liberal Party can clean up Labor’s mess, and we do have the capacity and the experience to make the decisions that are necessary to help families, help the economy and help keep Australians safe.”

Dutton says he is ready to be prime minister and leads a united team. He pledges to leave nothing on the field during the election campaign. His life motto? “Never give in,” he says in an instant.