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Dutton says he ‘accepts responsibility’ for loss of Aston
Dutton is asked a second time whether he failed his own test for the Liberal party leadership. He says that he “accepts responsibility” as leader of the party for the loss.
I was there last night to do that. I agreed to come on to the show this morning knowing that if you win, lose or draw, you need to front up.
Speers asks Dutton a third time whether he had failed his own test.
Again, by not winning the election, we’ve failed that test, have been set for us by the Victorian people. That’s the reality. Now, the question is how we rebuild from here, the policies that we have, the brand rebuilding that we need to do in Victoria and it is a very significant issue for us.
Note the shift from “I” to “we” in that answer.
Key events
Dutton will not confirm whether the Coalition will repeal the changes to the Safeguard Mechanism if re-elected – only that “in good time” his party will “go through the process to cost it properly”.
On the Voice, Dutton again raises his concerns about the scope of the Voice – before pointing to Alice Springs and saying “the women up there are screaming out for support. They have a voice now and it is not being listened to.”
Do I think that the Voice is the panacea or it is going to create change for those people? Well, the Prime Minister needs to explain that.
Dutton is asked whether it is alarmist to say the Voice will be “gumming up the works fo the Reserve Bank or the Defence Force”.
David, this is the biggest change proposed to the Australian Constitution since Federation and the Prime Minister can’t answer basic questions as to how it will apply, ho you it will work. You can’t out legislate constitutional change. You need to ensure that it will be for the best, not a layer of bureaucracy, that the Voice will reflect the views of people on the ground so we can get the outcomes we are talking about.
For the record, the RBA is a independent entity and the Prime Minister has repeatedly said the Voice is not going to be advising on defence or national security issues.
Speers then pulls up Dutton on why he would say the cement industry is leaving – which leads to another exchange – I’ve reproduced it here as best I can.
Speers: Why do you say that?
Dutton: Because we’ve spoken very clearly with the industry.
Speers: And they are leaving, are they? They’ve told you they are going to go?
Dutton: They have grave concerns about their sector. There are issues around steel.
Speers: The chief executive of Manufacturing Australia, the way the safeguard mechanism have been designed, they won’t have to pass on increases for steel, aluminium, bricks – are they telling you something different?
Dutton: If you have a company that has costs imposed on them, they will take a cut to the bottom line and pass cut the profit or pass it on to their consumers. There are a lot of consumers out there who are trying to build a house or renovate, realise that the costs are through the roof.
Speers: That is not what they’re saying publicly.
Dutton: Well, where we’ve spoken to people, it causes grave …
Speers: They are telling you something different, are they?
Dutton: I think there are a lot of people in this country saying different things publicly than they are in private. Well,
Speers: Why?
Dutton: Social media…
Speers: So they are lying to the public.
This, by the way, is the opposition leader “fronting up”.
Dutton says Coalition has been the ‘worst salespeople in terms of what we’ve done for the environment’
Speers and Dutton then have an exchange about whether the Coalition under his leadership is willing to change at all. Dutton says the party has to go back to its “fundamentals” but otherwise the answer appears to be no.
If we have policies to take to the election, David, we will do it in good time. We are not rushing out with policies at the 10-month mark that people will have no recollection [at the] three-year mark. It is about timing in this business and now is not the time to be putting out costed policies and changes to taxation policy or social policy or otherwise.
Speers then canvases various issues that are currently alive within Australian politics: climate change, the voice, the modest tax to super.
On climate change, Dutton says the Coalition have been the “worst salespeople in terms of what we’ve done for the environment” (a note there, that the opposition leader was asked about climate change, not the environment). He is then asked by Speers whether he accepts what the IPCC says:
I’m happy to accept it but we need to be realist why about what we can do as a country and driving businesses offshore will only increase emissions into the global environment and it will lose Australian jobs and lose productivity. The cement industry is one such industry that is at risk of leaving our shores.
‘The Liberal party has allowed itself to be defined by our opponents’: Dutton
Speers asks Dutton what the Coalition stands for in 2023 which leads to an interesting exchange:
Dutton
Well, we stand for aspiration. We stand for entrepreneurialism, so small businesses, we stand for national security obviously, and we always stand for cleaning up a Labor mess when we get back into government so that people can make their own choices.
Speers:
So much the same thing as the Scott Morrison-led Liberal party.
Dutton:
Well this goes back to the tradition of Menzies. I grew up in the Liberal party under John Howard, assistant treasurer to Peter Costello. We make decisions that, for example, people can keep more of their own money, so they can support their own family and there is a lot that we can put together by way of policy before the next election, but we are not announcing that at the 10-month mark.
Speers:
But is there a need for philosophical renewal, given where you are at?
Dutton:
Again, some of the attributes of the Liberal party frankly are timeless and worth us re-prosecuting. I think in recent years the Liberal party has allowed itself to be defined by our opponents and I think it’s time for us to take that back.
Dutton grilled on transgender rights stance
Dutton says he won’t tolerate discrimination on the basis of “their gender, sex, colour, anything” when asked where he stands on trans-rights issues.
I think I’ve demonstrated over my period of time in public life, I think people should have respect and the debate runs two ways. There are very strong views within many parts of Australian society, maybe not right here in inner city areas of our country, but in the outer metropolitan areas this is an issue in terms of women’s rights and the gender issue that has parents and others very worked up.
Dutton is asked whether he might have a problem with his MPs going to an anti-trans rally.
I don’t think MPs should be going to anti-anything rallies, to be honest.
There is one exception though, saying the only rallies his MPs should be going to “are anti-Labor rallies”.
Dutton acknowledges Coalition has ‘a particular problem in Victoria’
Speers asks whether the loss is because Dutton needs to “appease” the Nats and conservatives in your ranks.
Dutton says “not at all”.
I have a leadership style which I believe they appreciate which is why people very strongly are expressing their support to me and no doubt to you in relation to the mood in the party room at the moment. But we have a particular problem in Victoria. There is no question about that. And we have to learn the lessons and we build.
Speers then shows Dutton a map of metropolitan Melbourne with the various federal electorates. It’s a sea of red. He asks Dutton to explain why his party only now holds two blue seats.
If you go back to 2013 when we had a landslide Victory tri-. Victoria was still held by the Labor party. It has been going backwards for us since 1996, before I got into the parliament. No Liberal Leader before me has been able to rectify the situation in Victoria at a state level.
Speers asks if he can explain why, Dutton says “this is what I need to assess”.
There is an exchange now where Speers presses Dutton to offer some kind of analysis or insight – about why this state of affairs exists, about two or three times. Dutton responds:
That’s what we need to assess.
Peter Dutton says he is ‘determined to rebuild this party’
Dutton says “of course” he should stay as leader.
I can tell you it makes me more determined to rebuild this party and be in a winning position by 2025. I have been in a marginal seat the last two years, won by 22 votes, won by 9% and low and high-water marks. That is the nature of politics. Ours is now an opportunity to rebuild. We will do that over the course of the next couple of years and we will go into the next election in a position that will see us win it.
Dutton is asked about his comments at the byelection concession speech where he said the “one test of my leadership is whether we can keep the party together”. Dutton says that “parties always tear themselves apart in opposition”.
It is exactly what Mr Albanese was a part of when Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd lost the election, so we haven’t gone through that period of self-destruction.
Dutton says he ‘accepts responsibility’ for loss of Aston
Dutton is asked a second time whether he failed his own test for the Liberal party leadership. He says that he “accepts responsibility” as leader of the party for the loss.
I was there last night to do that. I agreed to come on to the show this morning knowing that if you win, lose or draw, you need to front up.
Speers asks Dutton a third time whether he had failed his own test.
Again, by not winning the election, we’ve failed that test, have been set for us by the Victorian people. That’s the reality. Now, the question is how we rebuild from here, the policies that we have, the brand rebuilding that we need to do in Victoria and it is a very significant issue for us.
Note the shift from “I” to “we” in that answer.
Byelection loss has ‘so many lessons, including for me and my party’: Dutton
Opposition leader Peter Dutton says “there were many messages out of last night.”.
Obviously the difficulties for us in Victoria haven’t been germinated in Aston over the course of the last five weeks. Even back to 2013, with all of my predecessors, Victoria is the one state that we have never held a majority of seats in and there are huge issues at a state level at well. For almost a quarter of a century, this has been a Labor government here in Victoria. So many lessons, including for me and my party.
He was actually asked about his previous comments that said the outcome would a “verdict on his leadership”. It was the first question.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has just held a press conference on the ground in Aston where he has stopped for a photo op on Sunday morning.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton is about to appear on ABC Insiders this morning – two guesses what they will be discussing following the PM’s press conference.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is also expected to hold a press conference on Sunday to discuss his China trip.
We will bring you all the latest as it happens.
Albanese encourages Coalition to put forward ‘ a constructive idea’
The PM is asked about whether he thinks the next election will come down to him versus Peter Dutton – he says that he is running a government that prioritises consultation.
The other thing that I’m doing is reaching out. If the Liberals or the Nationals have a constructive idea, put it forward. Put forward an amendment. Engage in the political process. You get better outcomes. We have a majority in the House of Representatives. We don’t have to accept amendments in order to get legislation through from crossbench members but we treat them with respect.
A note on the timing of this presser on the ground in Aston – it has been scheduled for just before Insiders on ABC, on which Peter Dutton is supposed to appear.
Coincidence? I think not.
Mary Doyle and Albanese continue speaking after byelection win
Doyle promises the people of Aston she will “do the best I can for this area” – whether they voted for her or not.
I promise, every single one of you this – whether you voted for me or not, I will always listen. I will always do the best I can for this area. And I will always put locals first.
First question now: was the prime minister genuinely surprised by the result in Aston? What was he feeling in that moment?
Albanese:
History tells us how difficult this is. It’s never happened before in a century. It’s been a lot of byelections in the last century, and on not a single occasion has the government won a seat from the opposition. So the feeling on the ground was always very positive.
The PM says the government “with its positive agenda” is being well-received.
You might say that’s something of a theme.
The PM says his government will be focused on the future.
We’ll also always have our eye on – how do we create a better Australia in the future by dealing with climate change, dealing with skills shortages.
Albanese now introduces Mary Doyle – who is tearing up as she approaches the microphone – as the member for Aston.
The PM is taking a swipe at the opposition by outlining what his government has been doing since it was elected:
In May last year, the people of Australia voted for a better future. They voted for change. They voted for action on climate change. They voted for action on cheaper childcare. On cheaper medicines. They voted to get wages moving again. And they voted to deal with housing affordability. An economy that works for people and not the other way around. They also voted for constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Since last May, we have concentrated on getting things done. Delivering on the commitments that we took to the Australian people and working with them. We wanted to, as I said, when I became Labor leader, move beyond conflict. Australians have conflict fatigue. They want things to get done.
The prime minister says he watched Peter Dutton’s speech following the result at the byelection on Saturday night and says he “thought it was a moment for honesty” when the opposition leader “said out loud that” that “his priority was just keeping the Liberal Party together”.
The Coalition are in a position of extreme weakness, Albanese knows that and he is doing everything he can to keep the pressure on.
Anthony Albanese speaks after Aston byelection victory
Anthony Albanese is in Aston this morning following the historic byelection victory and is speaking to the press.
The prime minister says he is certain that Mary Doyle will “make a difference each and every day” for the people of Aston after her win.
The PM praised Doyle for her “compassion, dignity and just common decency”.
I very much look forward to welcoming Mary on budget day when she is sworn in. We should recognise the historic achievement that Mary has done being the first candidate from a government party to win a seat off the opposition in over one hundred years. And that is a great credit to her and to her campaign team.
Wipeout beckons for Liberals after Aston byelection and the problem is not just Peter Dutton: Paul Karp
Before the Liberal MP Alan Tudge’s resignation setting up the byelection contest in Aston, the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, described the party’s vote in Victoria as at a “low-water mark”.
Now we know there is further to fall, and the Liberals’ brand under Dutton is underwater.
There is one caveat on the result: the fact that Tudge’s slim 2.8% margin was largely built on postals and pre-poll votes, which suggests the Liberal candidate, Roshena Campbell, could yet peel back some of Mary Doyle’s margin.
But Labor has won a good swing to it in a Liberal heartland seat, despite the fact that no government in more than 100 years has won a seat off the opposition at a byelection.
Despite higher inflation and 10 consecutive rate rises, the mortgage-belt seat in eastern Melbourne has not punished the Albanese government. It has taken up Labor’s invitation to send a message to the Liberal party that it can do better than Dutton.
For more on this story, read the full analysis by Guardian Australia’s chief political correspondent Paul Karp Political correspondent.
Good morning
And welcome to another Sunday Guardian live blog.
Labor’s win in the byelection for the federal seat of Aston has marked a historic moment for the government – and a disaster for the federal Coalition with the loss of a Melbourne seat it previously held on a 2.8% margin. Mary Doyle’s success marks the first time in a century that a government has won a seat held by an opposition outside of a national election. And the campaign has been considered a test of Peter Dutton’s leadership.
Counting continues in the New South Wales state election, with Labor so far failing to take the seat of Ryde. Liberal candidate Jordan Lane leads the count with 232 votes, but even if Labor were to take the seat it would still be unable to reach the 47 seats needed to form government. The results have taken the sheen off the party’s election-night landslide. Labor currently holds 45 seats to the Coalition’s 35, meaning the party would need to negotiate with the 12 members of the crossbench to retain government and pass legislation.
I’m Royce Kurmelovs, taking the blog through the day. With so much going on out there, it’s easy to miss stuff, so if you spot something happening in Australia and think it should be on the blog, you can find me on Twitter at @RoyceRk2 where my DMs are open.
With that, let’s get started …
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