Dutton accused of stoking division, kicking underdog
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has launched a personal attack on Peter Dutton, declaring he is a man whose life mission is to block progress, stoke division and ‘kick the underdog’.
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has launched a deeply personal attack on Peter Dutton, saying he is a man whose life mission is to block progress, stoke division and “kick the underdog when they’re down”.
Ms Plibersek, who is viewed as an alternative Labor leader when Anthony Albanese eventually steps aside, is expected to launch a character assassination on the Opposition Leader in a keynote speech at the West Australian Labor conference on Saturday.
She will argue Mr Dutton has spent his entire political career driven by “the poisonous politics of no” and failed to search for compromise in the national interest. She will say he boycotted the “basic standards of human decency” when he walked out on former prime minister Kevin Rudd’s apology to the Stolen Generations.
“It’s always the poisonous politics of no,” Ms Plibersek will say. “A politics that can only destroy and corrode, that can only tear things down, but can never build things up. And that is the thread that runs through Peter Dutton’s entire career in public life. This is a man who boycotted Kevin Rudd’s apology to the Stolen Generations. Boycotting, in the process, basic standards of human decency.”
Ms Plibersek will also accuse Mr Dutton of weaponising the politics of no to his own advantage and argue Australians will “see through the destructive force that is Peter Dutton”.
“These are the positions of a certain kind of politician. One who sees weakness in empathy, power in negativity, political advantage in division.
“A man who seeks to reach the highest position in Australian government by killing people’s faith in government. Australians want our leaders to act constructively.”
Last year, Ms Plibersek was forced to “unreservedly” apologise for comparing Mr Dutton to Voldemort. Anthony Albanese said Ms Plibersek had made a “mistake” likening Mr Dutton to the Harry Potter villain.
“It shouldn’t have been said, we all make mistakes from time to time,” the Prime Minister said.
Ms Plibersek’s attack on Mr Dutton comes amid expectations Mr Albanese will launch a negative campaign against the Opposition Leader.
Ms Plibersek and Mr Albanese have shared an uneasy relationship after she signalled during the 2013 Labor leadership contest she would be willing to be deputy leader to Bill Shorten.
Left faction MPs believe this swung the pendulum in favour of Mr Shorten and cost Mr Albanese the leadership at that time.
In her speech on Saturday, Ms Plibersek will also warn the Greens against siding with Mr Dutton to “let that poison clog the arteries of government”.
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