Dutton makes case to become PM, rallying Liberal faithful at launch
Dec 13 2024
ABC News
In short:
Peter Dutton says the Coalition can make Labor a one-term government if people know what the party stands for.
The opposition leader spoke at a campaign launch in Melbourne's east, where the party hopes to reclaim seats it lost during the last election.
What's next?
Mr Dutton says the Coalition will announce more election commitments in the coming days.
Liberal leader Peter Dutton has made his case to become prime minister, rallying the party faithful at an event in Melbourne, where the Coalition must make in-roads to win back government at the federal election.
The Coalition hopes to make the Albanese government the first one-term government in almost a century, and has eaten away at Labor's popularity over the past 12 months, according to polling trends.
In his first speech of the year at a Liberal event in Mount Waverley, in Melbourne's east, Mr Dutton laid out his party's priorities if it can win this year's election: fighting cost of living pressures, supporting small business, establishing nuclear power, improving housing supply, "rebalancing" migration levels, lifting general practitioner numbers, a tougher approach to crime and a closer relationship with Israel.
And in an attempt to cut the head off any prospective "Medi-scare" campaign, Mr Dutton also committed to strengthening Medicare under his leadership.
In an homage to president-elect Donald Trump's slogan "Make America Great Again", Mr Dutton stood in front of a podium stamped with "Get Australia Back on Track"— directly lifted from his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon's campaign.
Dutton speaks at a lectern, a sign reading "Let's Get Australia Back on Track" behind him.
Peter Dutton said fighting cost of living would be a priority under a government he leads.
Borrowing from Trump's successful campaign playbook, Mr Dutton asked voters to consider the past three years, and whether they could "afford" another term of Labor government.
"I think the past three years are a good indication of what the future will look like under a returned Labor government," Mr Dutton said.
"A returned Labor government — in majority or minority — will see setbacks set in stone.
"A newly elected Coalition government is a last chance to reverse the decline."
Mr Dutton told supporters he had seen the mood of Australians change under the current government to become more pessimistic and anxious, and the nation less safe and less cohesive.
He said a Coalition government would turn that around by re-energising the economy.
Labor raises 'Medi-scare' spectre
Last week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese began visiting seats in northern Australia in an early campaign blitz, where he sought to paint Mr Dutton as a leader who was pessimistic and sought to divide Australians.
Mr Albanese repeatedly raised instances of commitments Mr Dutton had made and later walked back, including a commitment to hold a second referendum on Indigenous recognition in the constitution.
Speaking after the Liberal rally, Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones warned Medicare was not safe under a Coalition government, despite Mr Dutton's commitment to it in his speech.
"Believe me, if Peter Dutton becomes the prime minister of Australia after this election, he will repeat what he did in government and destroy Medicare," Mr Jones said.
"This election will be a referendum on Medicare."
Outside the rally, a small crowd of protesters voiced their disapproval of Mr Dutton's plan to establish nuclear power in Australia through seven plants to be built over several decades.
A group of people hold signs saying "no to nuclear" and "clean energy for all".
A small group of protesters outside the Liberal rally rejected the party's proposal to establish nuclear power in Australia.
Brutal fight for key seats to determine next parliament
The Liberal campaign launch sets the scene for a contest this year that will focus on inflation and the deterioration in affordability and living standards for Australians over recent years.
The pathway for each party to govern in their own right with a majority looks incredibly narrow, setting up a fierce fight over key seats mostly in NSW and Victoria.
Labor could be forced into minority government if it loses just three seats, while the Coalition must pick up 21 if it wants to govern with a majority.
For the Coalition to reclaim government after just a single term in opposition, it will also have to make inroads in Victoria, where it holds only nine of the 39 seats in the second-largest state.
The Coalition is eyeing seats in Aston and Chisholm, where the rally was held, as two seats it hopes to win after losing Chisholm in 2022 and Aston in a by-election in 2023.
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