Opposition Leader Peter Dutton rallies supporters for next election and calls Anthony Albanese ‘a child in a man’s body’

Peter Dutton has got personal with Anthony Albanese, calling the Prime Minister ‘a child in a man’s body’ and a political appeaser, prompting Labor accusations of ‘nasty negativity’.

Liberal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has likened Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to “a child in a man’s body”, as well as a political appeaser who has compromised his own office. Labor responded that Mr Dutton had displayed “the same nasty negativity” and “personal attacks”.

In an address to the Liberal Party Federal Council on Saturday, Mr Dutton outlined how the party could beat the first-term Albanese Labor government at the election due by May next year, and launched a scathing attack on the Prime Minister.

“He’s a man with a mind still captured in his university years, he’s a child in a man’s body,” the Opposition Leader told the Liberal faithful.

He offered Mr Albanese some credit, calling him a “decent man who cares deeply about his country”, but said he was out of his depth as Prime Minister.

“I believe he’s compromised the honour of the office he holds. He certainly broke at least 12 core promises most egregiously and promised Australians prior to the election, that they would be better off under a Labor government,” Mr Dutton said.

The Liberal leader said the Prime Minister loves to “jet around the world” and is more interested in appeasing the international climate lobby over the interests of everyday Australians.

“Whatever audience Mr Albanese is addressing, he tells them what they want to hear, not what needs to be said,” Mr Dutton said.

“He’s a political appeaser not a leader of conviction, avoids the hard and necessary decisions and discussions because he places a higher value on political survival and statesmanship.”

Afterwards, Labor’s Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Jenny McAllister, slammed Mr Dutton over his comments about the Prime Minister as well as his “risky nuclear plan” for power generation.

“Today Peter Dutton could’ve answered the many questions Australians have about his risky nuclear plan but all they got was more of the same nasty negativity and politics ... Peter Dutton demands a mature debate but instead launches personal attacks,” Senator McAllister said in a press conference.

“Peter Dutton demands lower power prices but opposes energy price relief and is unable or unwilling to say how much his nuclear plans will cost Australian taxpayers. Australians deserve better.”

The Saturday party speech comes just days after Mr Dutton rolled the dice on one of the biggest electoral issues in history by making his nuclear energy policy the centrepiece of the election debate.

But it also follows recent polls where he has made gains on the Prime Minister and taken control of the political debate.

The cost of living – taking in inflation, interest rates and high energy prices – is the major concern of voters and the area the Coalition is focusing on.

“The forthcoming election matters more than others in recent history. The stakes are higher,” Mr Dutton told the party faithful.

“The next election will not only define the next political term, it will define the future and fate of this nation.

“It will be about the kind of country Australians want their nation to be.”

Mr Dutton said Mr Albanese, whose Labor Party narrowly defeated the nine-year-term coalition at the 2022 election, had dedicated the first 16 months in power of trying to win the voice referendum at a cost of $500m to taxpayers.

“In the last two years, Labor has made our economy more vulnerable. Our nation less safe and less secure. Our society less cohesive,” he said.

“Australians are worse off at every level.”

Part of the audience at the Liberal Party Federal Council in Sydney as Peter Dutton speaks on Saturday. Picture:NewsWire/ Monique Harmer

Mr Dutton has narrowed the gap since the election loss, edging out Mr Albanese as the preferred leader at recent polling – done before the nuclear debate – which showed support for Labor is decreasing on critical issues.

It’s the first time Mr Dutton has eclipsed Mr Albanese as the preferred prime minister in the Resolve Political Monitor, the surveys regularly conducted for The Sydney Morning Herald.

The findings published by the masthead show the Opposition Leader has gained a narrow lead over his opponent with 36 per cent of voter support compared with 35 per cent for Mr Albanese.

The Coalition has a lot of ground to make up after it lost 18 of its 76 seats at the last election – 10 to Labor, six of its blue ribbon seats to the teals and two inner-Brisbane seats to the Greens.

Mr Dutton at the Saturday Federal Council meeting with deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley. Picture: NewsWire/ Monique Harmer

And despite losing the last year’s Aston by-election and a relatively poor showing at the Dunkley by-election, Mr Dutton is showing signs of optimism.

He said the battle of ideas had already started and he called on the party “to find strength in our unity” to win back government.

“Do I think the Coalition can win the next election? We can and we must,” he said.

“Not because we seek to win for winning’s sake, but because we are here to do something for our country.

“We are here to get our country back on track.”