Detective switched to real estate speculation

Why did the young detective leave a flourishing career with the Queensland Police and turn to property speculation?

The Camelia Avenue Childcare Centre in Everton Park, Brisbane owned by Peter Dutton. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

It’s been a regular question trotted out by Peter Dutton’s opponents over the years: why did the young detective leave a flourishing career with the Queensland Police and turn to property speculation?

Was there some investigation? Was he involved in something inappropriate involving his work as a detective?

The answer, according to his former colleagues, is nothing so colourful and had only to do with Mr Dutton’s request to take leave without pay and Queensland’s then no-nonsense assistant commissioner for crime operations Graham Williams, who was trying to stem a flood of young officers leaving the force.

Mr Williams knocked back Mr Dutton’s request in 1999 after losing many promising officers to other careers, according to police who worked with the pair.

The account was confirmed by Mr Dutton late yesterday: “I applied for unpaid leave because we had set up a third childcare centre and I had my business stuff and I was planning to go into politics.”

Mr Dutton said he asked for the leave but was rejected. He said soon after, the QPS appeared to back down, contacting him to offer him the leave.

“But I had put things in motion then,’’ he said. “There was no investigation, there was nothing at all (untoward).”

Contacted yesterday, now retired Mr Williams said he could not personally recall the situation but it sounded like something that would have happened.

Mr Williams joined other former senior police from the same era as saying Dutton was a hard worker and good at his job which involved stints in the undercover surveillance area, the drug squad and the property crime unit.

Former QPS inspector Greg Tutt said: “Dutton was very ambitious. He was a bright guy and honest as the day comes. He had a couple of jobs but he worked his arse off.’’

Mr Dutton confirmed he had worked in different roles including drug squad, sex offenders squad, the corrective services investigation unit and on mobile patrols during a nine-year stint in the QPS that began in 1990.

He also confirmed he had done undercover work during some high-profile operations.

One involved a successful effort to recapture postcard bandit Brendan Abbott, who sent letters to police while on the run.

He appeared to easily transition from detective to property speculator — a business interest that has continued through his political career.

Two recent investments in childcare centres managed by his family trust have been causing headaches for Mr Dutton’s supporters.

Since his election to parliament in 2001, Mr Dutton has bought more than $4.5 million in property, including a Palm Beach home on the Gold Coast he paid more than $2.3m for in 2014.

Over the same time, he has sold property worth nearly $2.5m, including two childcare centre sites co-owned with his father, Bruce Dutton.

According to property records, Mr Dutton has held a direct ownership in at least 10 properties in Queensland since the 1990s.