Julian Burnside backing the Greens to unseat Peter Dutton

Prominent barrister Julian Burnside QC is hosting a fundraiser for the Greens candidate running against Peter Dutton.

Barrister and refugee advocate Julian Burnside in Sydney.

Prominent barrister Julian Burnside QC, who is “not a member of any political party”, is hosting a fundraiser for the Greens candidate in the Queensland seat of Dickson as part of his campaign to end Peter Dutton’s career.

Mr Burnside, a refugee advocate and fierce critic of the government’s offshore detention policy, will host the event at his home tonight in the affluent Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn, about 1800km from the outer Brisbane electorate of the Home Affairs Minister he is trying to oust.

“I am writing to invite you to come to Kate and my place for drinks to meet (Greens candidate) Benedict Coyne, who is standing against Peter Dutton in Dickson at the next federal election,” a leaked email said. “Benedict is a solicitor in Brisbane but is a very interesting person. You will not be surprised that I would like to see Dutton miss out at the next election.”

Mr Burnside, made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2009, yesterday denied he had contradicted his claim on his Twitter account that he was not a member of a political party.

He said he was supporting the Greens candidate rather than the Labor one, who has a better chance of winning the marginal seat, because he had a relationship with Mr Coyne. “I know Benedict Coyne professionally and he asked me if he could do a fundraiser here. Anyone who is going to have a red hot go at getting rid of Dutton would get my support.

“I didn’t say I am not a supporter of any party. I said I’m not a member of any party, and I am still not a member of any party.”

Mr Burnside said the ­“Coalition are hopeless” when it comes to the issue of refugees and the Labor Party is no better.

“I think (the Greens’) policy is closer to what I would support than Labor or the government, but then Labor and the government are hard to separate on that question,” Mr Burnside said.

“Obviously and reluctantly, I formed some political views in the last few years and one of my views is that the Coalition are hopeless and Dutton is amongst the worst of them.”