Michelle Pini updates IA's catalogue of major reasons Peter Dutton should not be prime minister – begun a few months ago by Belinda Jones – now number 75.
THERE IS an inescapable and sometimes unfortunate truth:
"In a democracy, people get the leaders and government they deserve."
~ Joseph de Maistre
We also firmly believe no self-respecting democracy deserves Peter Dutton as prime minister. And so, as he appears to model his political career on Donald Trump (who was inexplicably re-elected) and given the Coalition's recent success in the polls, we felt it was time to update the many reasons why Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is unfit to be Australia's next PM.
The list is a collection of dodgy deals, rorts, lies and a plethora of racism, sprinkled with a dose of good old bigotry and misogyny, here and there.
Created in August last year, Independent Australia intends to keep this catalogue of misdeeds, rorts and assorted Trump-like behaviour regularly updated in the lead-up to the Federal election. (Indeed, if you believe you have evidence of further reasons we may have missed, please let us know here.)
Shown chronologically from the present day, our updated – and by no means exhaustive – list, now numbering 75, chronicles Dutton's illustrious 23-year political career.
2025: MORE MISOGYNY & DOG-WHISTLES ... PLUS AN OLDIE BUT A BADDIE
75. Dutton kicked off the year with a new policy announcement! Free lunches for businesses, while his state counterparts in Queensland rejected free lunches for hungry school children.
74. While outwardly bemoaning cost of living pressures, Dutton – with an estimated $300 million personal fortune – has opposed public housing initiatives, increased funding for tertiary education, HECS debt relief and free TAFE. He has also instigated increases to the Medicare surcharge and wants to axe the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
73. At age 54 and 23 years on from his entry to parliament, Dutton is still trying to convince us he has a human side.
72. In the style of Trump's new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk, Dutton has pledged the creation of a government efficiency portfolio, led by Jacinta Price, known as SCOGE, which will slash thousands of government jobs.
71. Dutton's previous government added an unnecessary $617 billion to Australia's gross debt.
70. As Australia's domestic violence national emergency kicks off 2025 with three women already dead, Dutton says men are fed up with being treated as ogres.
69. Dutton consistently votes against key reforms to workers' rights and opposes parental leave, penalty rates, and disconnect laws. He has promised to "review" (read, dismantle) existing workplace reforms.
68. (Reminder) Back in 2018, it was revealed that a family trust – of which Dutton, his wife and children were beneficiaries – operated two childcare centres that received millions in payments from the Coalition Government.
2024 NUCLEAR NONSENSE, RACISM, THUGGERY & DISMANTLING WORKPLACE REFORM
67. Pete could be found supping on caviar and French Champagne at the lavish birthday soirée of billionaire mining magnate, Gina Rinehart, in WA, before flying back to continue his "vision" on cost-of-living pressures.
66. Taxpayers paid $6,000 for his entourage to accompany Dutton to Gina Rinehart's birthday bash.
65. Dutton was told to "stop being racist" in the House of Representatives by Independent MP for Warringah Zali Steggall after he called for a halt to accepting refugees fleeing from Gaza.
64. Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja accused Dutton of fuelling Islamophobia after a remark about "Muslim candidates".
63. He revealed seven sites for proposed nuclear plants — a "policy" Dutton released without any details about costs or timeframe and without community consultation.
62. Dutton linked peaceful pro-Palestine protest to the Port Arthur Massacre.
61. Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull described Dutton as a "thug" on an episode of ABC’s Nemesis.
2023 MORE LIES, RACISM AND SOME CONFECTED REMORSE
60. After the Voice Referendum failed, Dutton reneged on his promise to have another referendum on Indigenous Constitutional recognition.
59. A peak Islamic body said Dutton's comments on cancelling the visas of pro-Palestinian protesters were ‘designed to inflame tensions' and were ‘grossly irresponsible’.
58. Dutton promised a second referendum if the Voice To Parliament Referendum failed.
57. He appeared on ABC’s Kitchen Cabinet, where he claimed he'd apologised for his 2016 comments about Lebanese immigrants — although no Lebanese community leader can recall Dutton's apology. Said apology appears to have escaped media reportage.
56. Dutton called for a reinstatement of the ”Work for the Dole” scheme — even though it still existed.
55. He confirmed the Liberals would oppose the Voice To Parliament Referendum — thus supporting the 'No' campaign – then demanded "detail" about The Voice.
54. Fifteen years after the event, Dutton apologised for boycotting the Apology to the Stolen Generations in February 2008.
2022 DODGY DEALS, BULLYING, INCOMPETENCE AND, OF COURSE, RACISM
53. Dutton lost his defamation case against refugee advocate Shane Bazzi.
52. It was reported that Dutton's flood fundraiser funds appeared to go to an "unregistered group".
51. Dutton was featured in Friendlyjordies’ video The Baddest MP, which featured LNP candidate Ryan Shaw who withdrew from the election race around the same time the video was released.
50. He was criticised for setting up a fundraiser for flood victims instead of providing emergency assistance.
49. The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) found Dutton had pork-barrelled Round 3 Safer Communities Funds to marginal seats in the lead-up to the 2019 Election.
2021 BULLYING, RACISM AND MISOGYNY
48. The Biloela family's three-year-old, Tharnicaa Murugappan, was medically evacuated from the Christmas Island detention centre — the delay in her care, due to Dutton, was justly criticised.
47. Dutton filed Federal Court defamation proceedings against refugee advocate Shane Bazzi over a tweet.
46. He then doubled down on his "she said, he said" remark.
45. Dutton said in a press conference – referring to Brittany Higgins' rape allegation – that he "wasn't provided with the 'she said, he said' details of the allegations".
2020 LIES AND CRUELTY
44. His High Court bid to try and stop asylum seekers from suing the Federal Government for neglect failed.
43. Dutton launched a verbal attack on the Biloela family, saying, ‘They have used every trick in the book to make sure they can stay’.
2019 BULLYING, RACISM, LIES AND MEDIA RAIDS
42. Dutton made his infamous "anchor babies" comment about the Biloela family.
41. He appeared in a car dealership promotional video — the same dealership was "featured" in a tell-it-like-it-really-is video by friendlyjordies.
40. Dutton attempted to deport the Biloela family from detention in Melbourne, which was interrupted mid-flight by a last-minute injunction when they landed in Darwin.
39. He probed into the reason a two-year-old Australian-born girl from Biloela needed four baby teeth removed (they had rotted while in immigration detention).
38. He was quoted as saying that some women refugees were "trying it on", using rape claims and hence the need for an abortion as a ploy to get to Australia.
37. Dutton confirmed he allowed two suspected Rwandan killers to settle in Australia.
36. The Australian Federal Police also raided ABC's Sydney headquarters.
35. The Australian Federal Police (within Australia's Home Affairs portfolio at the time) raided journalist Annika Smethurst's home. The High Court later ruled the AFP warrant invalid.
34. Dutton's wife does a News Corp interview just ahead of the 2019 Federal Election to declare that her husband is "not a monster".
33. He accused disabled Labor candidate for Dickson Ali France of ‘using her disability as an excuse’ for not moving to the seat of Dickson. France was living in a wheelchair-accessible home in an adjoining electorate. Dutton later apologised for the accusation.
32. The Australian Human Rights Commission warned Dutton that his 'proposal to lower the bar for stripping people… of Australian citizenship… could render people stateless and would be retrospective in application — in possible violation of international law or the rule of law’.
2018 BULLYING AND RACISM
31. He launched an attack in Question Time – under Parliamentary Privilege – on former Border Force Commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg, accusing him of "grooming" a young woman.
30. It was revealed that in 2014 Dutton had asked Border Force Commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg to ‘help two Queensland policemen get jobs in the new Border Force’.
29. Dutton was quoted as saying that Sudanese gangs are a ‘major law and order problem' in Victoria.
28. Home Affairs awarded a $423 million contract to Paladin, whose registered address was a beach shack on Kangaroo Island.
27. Greens Senator Nick McKim called Dutton racist.
26. Dutton was quoted as saying, ‘Some of the crazy lefties at the ABC, Guardian and The Huffington Post… [who] draw mean cartoons about me… they don't realise how completely dead they are to me’.
25. The Federal Court ordered a ten-year-old boy on Nauru at risk of suicide to be treated in Australia; Home Affairs fought the injunction.
24. Reportedly, South Africa demanded Dutton retract comments ‘that suggested white farmers were being persecuted and should receive fast-tracked humanitarian visas from a “civilised country”.’.
23. He asked the Home Affairs Department to look into a 'special refugee intake of white South African farmers’.
22. Dutton stated unequivocally‘Victorians are scared to go out because of “African gang violence”.’.
2017 DODGY DEALS AND MAJOR BIGOTRY
21. Home Affairs awarded Canstruct International Pty Ltd – a Brisbane company worth $8 at the time – a contract ultimately valued at $1.6 billion after a "financial strength assessment" was carried out on the wrong company.
20. Dutton said, "I voted No but Yes will win" in the same-sex marriage plebiscite.
19. Home Affairs, under his watch, entered into a "high-risk" arrangement with NKW Holdings but did not sign a formal contract until a year later. The struggling company was paid $82 million to feed 209 asylum seekers — the equivalent of $1,400 per day.
18. Dutton clashed with ABC journalist Barrie Cassidy over inflammatory and untrue comments he'd made about the case of a boy on Manus Island.
17. He told CEOs such as Qantas’ Alan Joyce – who campaigned in favour of same-sex marriage – to "stick to their knitting" and to stop using shareholder money for campaigning for same-sex marriage.
2016 DODGY DEALS, RACISM AND BULLYING
16. Dutton stood by his earlier Lebanese resettlement comments.
15. He said former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser's resettling of Lebanese refugees was a mistake.
14. Dutton and his wife bought a shopping centre in Townsville, which he failed to declare in his Register of Members' Interests, finally admitting the “error” in 2020.
13. Dutton was reportedly 'accused of “dirty politics” after suggesting the mother deliberately burnt baby Asha'. However, no evidence was found to support his suggestion that the injury of the Nepalese mother's baby was non-accidental.
12. He intended to text ‘she's a mad fucking witch' to a former minister about journalist Samantha Maiden but accidentally texted Maiden instead.
2015 FAVOURITISM, BULLYING AND CRUEL JOKES
11. Dutton personally intervened to stop a French au pair from being deported after being lobbied by AFL boss at the time, Gillon McLachlan.
10. He was caught on a hot mic joking about rising sea levels in Pacific nations.
9. Dutton’s department restored a UK man's visa even though he'd been convicted of being an accessory to murder in a gangland killing.
8. He personally intervened to stop an Italian au pair – who had come to Australia to work for the family of a former QLD police officer colleague – from being deported.
7. He led calls to urge Professor Gillian Triggs to resign as president of the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC).
6. Sydney Morning Herald reported that Dutton had Senator Sarah Hanson-Young spied upon during a visit to Nauru in December 2013.
2013 BULLYING AND PETTY NASTINESS
5. He tweeted: ‘Krudds fringe looks like it's been welded on this morn. More hair spray than Dame Edna’. (In 2022, Dutton later complained about "appearance shaming" after Tanya Plibersek likened him to Lord Voldemort. He was quoted at that time saying, "I just don't think you need to be nasty and mean".
2010 MAINLY MISOGYNY
4. During Question Time, Dutton said to Minister Nicola Roxon, "On your broomstick, Nicola!".
3. He tweeted this about a female journalist: ‘Latika must have a date after qn time? Wearing big new dangly earings [sic] and big purple flower’.
2008 RIGHTEOUS RACISM
2. Dutton walked out of the Apology to the Stolen Generations, saying, at the time, that he regarded it as something ‘which was not going to deliver tangible outcomes to kids who are being raped and tortured in communities in the 21st Century’.
2002 DOG WHISTLING BEGINS
1. His First Speech to Parliament criticised courts and civil libertarians with claims that "unacceptable crime rates" were causing older Australians to "barricade themselves" in their homes". He attacked the unemployed: ‘We are seeing an alarming number of households where up to three generations – in many cases by choice – have never worked in their lives’.
If you believe you have evidence of further reasons we may have missed, please let us know here.
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