Albanese and Dutton descend on Lunar New Year festivities in crucial federal seat

Box Hill became the centre of Australia’s political universe on Saturday, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton converged on Lunar New Year celebrations in Melbourne’s east.

The pair’s visit to the suburb for the festivities came after diversity became a major talking point on Friday when Dutton announced that cultural diversity staffers would be in the firing line of a Coalition government.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was flanked by dancing lions and a nipping snake as he joined the Lunar New Year festival and parade in Box Hill.Credit: Justin McManus

Box Hill is in the seat of Menzies, where Chinese Australians represent a significant proportion of voters.

On Saturday, Albanese and Dutton shook hands before the Lunar New Year parade, with the prime minister ribbing that Dutton “needed a hat, mate” to protect him from the intense Melbourne sun.

Flanked by lion dancers as cymbals crashed, Albanese walked just in front of the nipping mouth of a long dragon, while Dutton followed along at its tail.

Throngs of onlookers decked out in red jockeyed to get a view of the federal leaders during the parade. The prime minister stopped to talk to stallholders along the way, while Dutton rarely deviated from the course.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton shake hands at a Lunar New Year celebration in Box Hill in Melbourne’s east on Saturday.Credit: Justin McManus

The leaders also faced off with duelling announcements: Albanese spruiked a $150,000 federal grant for Whitehorse Council’s Lunar New Year celebrations, before Dutton one-upped him with a promise of $250,000 for the event if he is elected, as well as a permanent memorial for Chinese Australians who died in warfare.

Dutton said China remained Australia’s most important trading relationship and the connection was “brighter than ever before”.

“We’re at our best as a country when we’re celebrating every element of our country,” Dutton said at a press conference.

“The Chinese community … have continued over the course of many, many decades to contribute to our amazing country.”

Albanese said the contribution of Australia’s Chinese community was “something to celebrate every day of the year”.

“The values of family, hard work and aspiration at the heart of this community have helped to make the Australian story,” the prime minister said.

“Just as you have made this city and our country a better place, your ties of family and tradition have strengthened Australia’s connections to our region as well.”

Chinese Australians will be crucial to the outcome in Menzies, which takes in the suburb of Box Hill. They comprise 16.5 per cent of voters in the electorate, which swung heavily against the Morrison government at the previous election, following its aggressive rhetoric against the Chinese Communist Party.

However, the seat’s margin has halved for the coming election after the Australian Electoral Commission abolished the neighbouring seat of Higgins.

But Labor is optimistic about its prospects with that constituency, after it organised focus group meetings with Chinese-speaking voters in Melbourne last year and the results, according to Labor sources unauthorised to speak publicly about the research, showed Dutton remained a divisive and aggressive figure.

Dutton on Friday fired up the culture wars yet again, indicating a Coalition government could cut cultural diversity staffers in the public service, in a move that echoes US President Donald Trump’s decision to abolish federal diversity positions.

“Now positions have been advertised that include those required for cultural diversity and inclusion adviser positions, change managers and internal communication specialists, but such positions, as I say, do nothing to improve the lives of everyday Australians,” Dutton said in a speech on Friday.

Community and Public Sector Union national secretary Melissa Donnelly slammed Dutton’s speech and argued the public service must reflect the community it for which it works.

Victoria will be a crucial battleground in the upcoming federal election, due by May but likely to be called much sooner.

Dutton’s opposition must win 21 extra seats to form government and the Coalition only holds 10 of Victoria’s 39 electorates.

This masthead’s Resolve Political Monitor suggests Dutton is on track to push Labor into minority government and could win outright if his political fortunes continue to improve, which would make Albanese’s the only single-term government since the 1930s.

The RPM poll showed Victorian voters gave the Coalition its biggest boost in support since the 2022 election among the mainland states, lifting its primary vote from 33 per cent to 38 per cent, while NSW voters have increased their Coalition support from 37 per cent to 38 per cent.

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