Peter Dutton pushes tough-on-crime stance, attacks Daniel Andrews over African gangs

Peter Dutton pushes his tough-on-crime stance on Melbourne airwaves and attacks the Premier’s handling of African gangs.

Teens in Taylors Hill, Melbourne. Picture: Seven News

Peter Dutton has pushed his tough-on-crime stance on Melbourne airwaves today but he is still to win over Victoria’s Liberal leader who is continuing to back Malcolm Turnbull.

Mr Dutton’s two major interviews this morning were on Melbourne radio as he tried to fight a perception that he would do badly in Australia’s most socially progressive state.

He was criticised early this year by senior Victorians for saying Melburnians were too scared to go out to restaurants due to the state’s African youth crime crisis.

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The former Home Affairs Minister told Melbourne’s 3AW radio today he was simply relaying what Melburnians’ concerns about crime.

“If you’re a Victorian and you’re out in the CBD and you’re followed home,” Mr Dutton said, “you’ve been out to dinner and your car’s been stolen, I do think you have a concern about that.

“I don’t seek to overstate it, I didn’t say every Victorian, I said some and that’d been relayed to me by Victorians as a matter of fact.”

Mr Dutton said he wanted to call the youth crime problem for “what it is” and attacked Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews over his handling of it.

“I want Victoria to be the best it can be and it won’t be when Daniel Andrews refuses to fix problems that are of his own making,” Mr Dutton said.

He used his interviews with Neil Mitchell and Triple M Melbourne to confirm he was planning a second challenge for the leadership and laid out his policies on removing GST from power bills and cutting immigration.

But Victoria’s Liberal leader Matthew Guy told reporters outside state parliament today he still wanted Mr Turnbull to remain as Prime Minister and that he wanted to campaign with him.

“The Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, will be a part of my campaign,” he said.

There are some concerns within the Victorian Liberal Party that Mr Dutton would not cut through to Victorian voters as well as he may with Queensland voters.

“My message to the federal Liberal Party is get on with the job, start focusing on Australia, start focusing on good government,” Mr Guy said.

“Australians want good government, they are looking for it, they are wanting a real contest between two parties come the next election, but that does not mean a contest within yourself.

“Australians want that leadership, now get on with it.”