GetUp! launches campaign to oust Peter Dutton

Peter Dutton fights back as the activist group launches a campaign to unseat the minister in his marginal electorate.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton. Photo: Stuart McEvoy

Activist group GetUp! is launching an election campaign to try to unseat Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton in his marginal Brisbane electorate of Dickson.

A major effort from GetUp! at the 2016 election helped cut Mr Dutton’s margin from 6.7 per cent to 1.6 per cent, and they are hoping to oust him at the next federal poll.

“GetUp! members believe Mr Dutton is dragging the Turnbull government to the extreme right and his views have no place in Australian politics,” the group’s spokeswoman Ellen Roberts said today.

Mr Dutton hit back at the left-wing group, saying GetUp! lied to the people of Dickson at the last election and were continuing to do so.

“They blatantly lied about health and education funding. They also lie about their fundraising. Most of the money they raise off the back of attacking me is not spent in Dickson, it is spent in NSW and Victoria,” he said.

“They should also tell the people of Dickson about their links to the CFMEU and the Greens and that they are in favour of people-smugglers getting back in to business.”

AAP