Peter Dutton’s son Tom captured ‘with white powder’

The Opposition leader’s office says an image showing Tom, 18, holding a small bag containing a white substance is a ‘private matter for the Dutton family’.

Peter Dutton with wife Kirilly, daughter Rebecca, and sons Harry and Tom (far right). Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/The Australian

Peter Dutton’s office says an image showing the teenage son of the Opposition Leader holding a small bag containing a white substance is a “private matter for the Dutton family”.

The Daily Telegraph reported on Monday that Mr Dutton’s son, Tom, 18, was captured in a photograph at a Surfer’s Paradise apartment holding a plastic bag which appeared to contain a small amount of a white substance. It published the image which was captioned “Birthday day treat” and “Hello how u goin.”

The image was reportedly ­deleted after it was put online but a screenshot was taken by one of the people who received it.

The Australian has not verified whether the image is genuine, nor is it claiming the bag contained drugs.

Tom, 18, captured holding a plastic bag which appeared to contain a small amount of a white substance.

But a spokeswoman for Mr Dutton said on Monday evening that there was nothing further to add at this stage other than that “this is a private matter for the Dutton family”.

Prior to entering politics, Mr Dutton served for nine years as a police officer in Queensland and worked in the National Crime Authority and the drug and sex offenders squads.

Mr Dutton has been speaking more frequently about his past service with the police as he builds up a profile with voters as an alternative prime minister strongly ­focused on upholding community safety as well as law and order.

In an address to the Liberal Party federal council in Sydney on Saturday, Mr Dutton said that he would provide “strong and decisive leadership drawing on all I have done” including “as a police officer who served his community”.

Speaking to radio hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O on KIIS FM Sydney last Friday, Mr ­Dutton said it was a “bad choice for anyone to choose illicit substances. That’s the important message.”

A spokeswoman for Mr Dutton said there was nothing further to add other than that ‘this is a private matter for the Dutton family’. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/The Australian

Sandilands had raised the issue of cocaine prices in Australia, saying that “we are right up on the top of the list here – we are paying the most per gram than pretty much anyone. Does that surprise you?”

Mr Dutton responded by saying: “I reckon people are going to start tightening their belts and, surely if you can’t afford to pay your power bill maybe you can cut back on coke consumption at the same time.”

During the interview, Mr Dutton also took aim at the ACT’s controversial policy that saw the decriminalisation of small amounts of commonly used illicit drugs from October 28 last year.

Under the shake-up, casual drug users no longer face potential prison sentences but can instead be issued with a caution, a $100 fine or referred to a diversion program.

Mr Dutton has opposed the new laws, warning they “beggar belief” and are a form of “madness”. “The ACT government is rolling out the red carpet for drug use and more crime. It is effectively welcoming more ice, ­heroin, cocaine, MDMA and speed on our streets,” he said last September.

At the time, Mr Dutton said the laws would “lure recreational drug users into Canberra and spark an increase in drug-related deaths”.

“This is madness,” he said.