CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
As poll numbers continue to dive, Federal Opposition leader Peter Dutton has realised that he needs to do more than simply scrap the party’s positions on ‘Working From Home’ and public service cuts.
With President Donald Trump’s chaotic trade wars also reshaping the federal election campaign, it now seems that the Coalition must tear up their playbook and start again.
This comes as the betting markets show the odds on a Labor majority shortening even more after this week’s run of televised debates – first between both the major party leaders, as well the prospective Federal treasurers.
It’s with this rapidly turning tide that Peter Dutton must rapidly tone down the Opposition’s 2025 election campaign, in an effort to distance himself even further from the ‘Temu Trump’ nickname.
It’s a decision that has led to him backflipping on the last two pre-election policies that the Liberal Party have promised voters.
After walking back WFH and his Elon Musk-like plans to gut the Canberra public service, The Liberal Party was only left with two more policies to backflip on: the $600 million dollar nuclear power proposal, and tax-deductions for corporate long lunches.
And to save the campaign, that’s exactly what Peter Dutton has done.
While it is not yet clear if this kind of wishy-washy knee-jerking in the second week of the campaign is going to win back any of the votes that the Liberals had previously haemorrhaged through strongmen politics – it does mean that far more optimism has been injected into Peter Dutton’s election pitch.
In fact, some would say he’s now looking like a run-of-the-mill tree-hugging leftie.
“You’re damn right I am” said Peter Dutton, while wearing a black turtleneck and beret in his most recent press conference.
“I love OUR ABC”
“And I love the environment. And the gays. And Gaza or whatever”
“We aren’t the same party we were a week ago. Labor has been dishonest in their characterisation of our campaign”
