We’ll be back: Peter Dutton issues rallying call as David Van allegations hang over Liberal Party council meeting
While conceding the party is being tested, Peter Dutton outlines a positive outlook, hinting at a new housing policy as the future of David Van is set to be decided.
Peter Dutton says the Liberal Party is enduring a period of being tested and put under pressure but will ‘come back again’, as the David Van allegations overshadow the federal party council meeting.
“In the cycle of politics as we all know, parties will be down but they’re never out,” the Opposition Leader said in Canberra on Saturday.
“We’ve been here before and we came back. I promise you, we will come back again.”
Mr Dutton hinted at a new Coalition housing policy, using much of his speech to speak on the importance of home ownership, adding the party had costed 15 policies to take to the next federal election.
“Prime Minister [Robert] Menzies knew that the best way to empower Australians was through home ownership, especially for young today, the once attainable ambition of home ownership seems much harder – if not impossible – than it’s ever been,” Mr Dutton said.
“One writer made the sage point that if young people can’t accumulate capital, they’re unlikely to have much fondness for capitalism.
“By extension if people can’t realise their aspiration to buy and own their own home, they’re unlikely to have much faith in Liberalism and so they look elsewhere.”
Mr Dutton assured housing would be a top priority as the Albanese government hopes to pass its signature $10bn housing policy next week before the parliament’s winter break, even adding a $2bn social housing accelerator to sweeten the proposal.
“The Coalition government I lead will allow first home buyers and women separated later in life to access their super to buy their first home, in contrast Labor’s home buying scheme would see Australians rely on taxpayers money to purchase their own home,” he said.
“That’s not liberating, that’s modern collectivism.
“A priority for a Coalition government will be resurrecting our building industry, getting more homes constructed and investing in congestion busting infrastructure.”
Mr Dutton said the past two federal budgets handed down by the Labor government had left out middle Australia and that the working class would become the “demoralised working poor”.
“The Albanese government has left them, I think, in the middle of nowhere,” he said.
“Mr Albanese promised families that they would be better off and that he would lower mortgages, and yet today, 88 per cent of young and growing families are experiencing mortgage stress.”
While the federal Liberal Leader outlined his other priorities such as bringing down inflation, structural tax and regulation reform and developing a better energy policy, he also reflected on the current state of his party.
“There’s been times where Liberal values have burned bright and thrived like post the second world war and following the fall of the Soviet Union,” Mr Dutton said.
“And there have been times when Liberal values have been tested and put under pressure and I think that now we’re going through one of those periods.”
However the hopeful outlook for his party hangs behind the backdrop of sexual assault allegations levelled against ousted senator David Van.
The former Liberal senator, now crossbencher, is facing claims from independent senator Lidia Thorpe, former Liberal National senator Amanda Stoker and one other person who has remained anonymous.
While Mr Dutton has remained firm on his decision to remove Senator Van from the Liberal party room, he did not comment on whether he should be removed from the Victorian branch.
“Well that’s an issue for the division, I’ve made comments in relation to the matter,” he said to media before entering the meeting.
A Victorian Liberal Party spokesman on Friday said the branch would meet to discuss the future of Senator Van.
“The Liberal Party has taken action to suspend all organisational resources and support from Senator Van,” a Liberal Party spokesman said.
“There will be an urgent meeting this weekend of the party’s Victorian Administrative Committee to further consider the allegations raised.”
Opposition Foreign Affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham opted for a clearer stance on whether the former Liberal senator should remain at a state level.
“He no longer sits as a member of the parliamentary party, and therefore he should not have a place in the party at all,” he said.
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