Leaders agreed not to mention Dutton’s dad’s heart attack before debate

Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese discussed Bruce Dutton’s heart attack before the first debate of the 2025 federal election, with the pair agreeing not to raise it publicly on the night.

Dutton revealed on Wednesday morning that he had considered pulling out of the leaders’ debate after his father suffered a heart attack that left him in hospital in the hours leading up to the event in Sydney.

But the opposition leader decided that his father Bruce was a strong man who had his daughters around him and pressed on with the town hall-style debate against Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a western Sydney leagues club.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton leaving the leaders’ debate on Tuesday.Credit: James Brickwood

This masthead has confirmed that Albanese learned of the incident before the debate and spoke to Dutton, checking on his welfare and that of his father. The pair agreed during the conversation that Bruce Dutton’s health would not be raised, as this was the opposition leader’s preference.

News of his father’s condition broke minutes before Dutton was due to take the stage with Albanese to debate in front of 100 undecided voters at the televised Sky News event on Tuesday night.

Dutton told Sydney radio station Nova FM on Wednesday that he had spoken to his father, a former builder, earlier in the morning.

“He’s 80 this year. He’s stoic and he’s a tough old bugger. So he’ll be fine,” he said. “Look I thought, ‘do I pull out of the debate?’ But my sisters were up there with him and giving me regular reports, which was good, but yeah he’s a great man and I love him very much.“

Asked at a press conference on Wednesday if the daily news of the campaign could have been stress for his father, Dutton said, “I’m sure he has been worried about me for 50 years”.

“Our family has taken a big toll in this business, there is no doubt about that. And our spouses and kids and parents, they all watch and they look on.

“Dad has had pre-existing health conditions for a long time, and as I say, he is in the best of care.”

Dutton said he had today spoken to his father, who was in a stable condition.

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