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Opposition leader Peter Dutton has this week been accused of counting his chickens before they hatch after he declared his family wouldn’t live in Canberra if he was elected, but would instead opt to live in the Kirribilli House.
“We love Sydney, we love the harbour, it’s a great city, and so yes,” Dutton told Kyle and Jackie O during a radio interview.
“You’ve got the choice between Kirribilli or living in Canberra. I think I’ll take Sydney any day over living in Canberra.”
These comments have been met with backlash from Queenslanders, who are now raising questions about Peter Dutton’s character.
“What’s wrong with Brisbane?” asks local Dickson voter, Kal Langar (builder, 55).
“Why would he base himself out of Sydney? His job is in Canberra and his office is in North Brisbane. I don’t see why Sydney is even part of the equation”
These sentiments were echoed by another local voter, Des Sepshonbay (hairdresser, 35)
“Nobody actually wants to live in Sydney. You either go there for work, or you go there to watch an NRL grand final. The only Queenslanders that I know who have been excited to move there are footballers who are being paid millions to to play for the Roosters”
Prime Minister Albanese has criticised Dutton’s comments, and questioning whether he was actually aware of what is required from a Prime Minister.
“A fair bit of hubris behind that comment, I think… He’s measuring up the curtains,” said Albanese, while on the campaign in Perth.
It is not yet certain whether Peter Dutton made the bizarre comments as some sort of sledge against the Federal public servants that he continues to sledge devalue as part of his election campaign to discredit the ‘Canberra bubble’ that he has spent the last two decades working in.
Or was he being honest about his very real and aspirational desire to be compared to other extremely rich Liberal Prime Ministers.
Is Dutton more excited about the opportunity to live in a Sydney waterfront mansion like Morrison, Turnbull and Abbott before him.
Regardless of whether he has a chip on his shoulder by not being ‘Sydney Rich’ – the Opposition leader is now the first Queenslander in modern history to openly admit that he wants to live in the Harbour capital.
These comments are expected to damage him significantly in the upcoming opinions polls of marginal Brisbane swing-voters.
