Those of you who read my weekly missives could not but conclude other than l have very little time for Peter Dutton. Others, more credentialed than l, also have little time for him.
I promise in this piece – of which Peter Dutton is the subject – to keep my vitriol toward him to reasonable limits within the confines of my dislike of his political conduct.
When contemplating another piece about Tony Abbott, while sifting through a trove of material I had amassed back in 2017, I stumbled upon a compelling piece about Peter Dutton in The Monthly by Sean Kelly titled; A super poor decision, published on July 17 of that year.
In his insightful article, Kelly left no stone unturned in his critique. He meticulously dissected the character of the man entrusted with the pivotal role of Minister, at the time overseeing all matters pertaining to the nation’s security in what was called a ‘mega department’. His words illuminate everything I would assert, painting a vivid and unflinching portrait of Dutton and the implications of his new appointment.
As it turned out, it was one of then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull’s worst-ever decisions. He should never have appointed Peter Dutton. His record in many ministries should have made him ineligible.
But I digress.
Kelly’s article about Dutton was everything I would have written. It begins with a provocative contemplation: what if, one day, a genuinely malevolent individual found themselves at the helm of this robust new mega department? Imagine the implications of such a scenario, where ambition and authority intertwine ominously under the influence of a sinister leader.
Kelly wrote:
“Whenever a government proposes concentrating power in the hands of a single individual, a predictable objection is always raised: “Yes, perhaps this might work in the immediate future, but what if one day there is somebody truly awful in this position? That’s what we have to worry about.
Today, there is no need for hypotheticals. Malcolm Turnbull has created a new super department, combining Border Force, ASIO, the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre, and the Office of Transport Security. Will it be run by somebody competent, like Simon Birmingham? Or somebody reasonable, like Julie Bishop?
No. It will be headed up by somebody truly awful: Peter Dutton.
Long-time readers will know that I hold Dutton in deep contempt, so you might not wish to trust my entrenched opinion.”
The weight of those words strikes a deep chord, igniting a whirlwind of contemplation. I can’t help but grapple with the perplexing enigma: what compelling factors could have steered Turnbull toward such a staggering misjudgement in his assessment?
Didn’t it click with him that Peter Dutton was the wrong man for the job? He always was, and always will be.
A true leader, possessing any semblance of integrity, would decisively put an end to the antics of any shadow cabinet members wandering down the treacherous path of racism, wielding authority like a heavyweight champion. Yet, Dutton, instead, appears to be inseparable from this misguided faction, bound by a troubling allegiance.
My thought for the day
I am utterly convinced that Peter Dutton operates under the illusion that the impact of deceit fades with time, blissfully unaware that he leaves in his wake a lingering trail of shattered trust.
PS: I promise no more about Peter Dutton until the next time.
Also by John Lord: What part will Murdoch play in the upcoming election?
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Turnbull, in appointing Dutton to the Home Affairs portfolio, was like the Lady from Riga, who went for a ride on a tiger. Dutton tries to make up for his arrogance and incompetence by asserting a strongman image.
Dutton claims to have learnt a lot from John Howard but one thing that John Howard taught us about not just Dutton but himself is that if someone tells you who they are the first time, believe them the first time.
We knew that Tone the Botty was an arsehole and a dickhead from Day One, and we knew the same about Dutton, but Dutton is trying to paint himself as Mr. Nice Guy, when he’s not.
Maybe Turnbull chose Dutton because he had previously been a Senior Constable in the Queensland Police Force : not the best criterion for selecting a head of a government department.
We’ve had some awful political candidates over time, in Australia and in the states, as public life of representation requires service, intelligence, devotion even, some intellectual and professional proven ability, some decency. I, perhaps we, could name many, but, Peter Duckwit-Futton is low, well below a crab’s cloaca in the Mariana’s trench. He has done nothing good, because he cannot beat the lack of any quality, talent, skill. Nobody might beat his failures, and he would be a disgraceful P. M.
John, I fully agree with your assessment of Spud Dutton. And you will remember the Liberal Party preferred the appalling Morrison to Spud, which didn’t turn out well for them. Morrison went on to become the most despised PM in our history and single handed lost them the last election.
How truly awful must Dutton be?
I would go further and say the quality of politicians and governments has declined markedly in my lifetime, helped in no small part by a 3rd rate mainstream media. That someone like Peter Dutton could get within cooee of being PM boggles the mind. It’s no wonder people are switching off from the main parties and turning to the independents because of the dross being served up by the Labor, Liberal and National parties.
I will always vote and fill out my ballot, who to put last is the main focus these days.
Correct weight on everything Thugoaf Dutton.On the other hand his ‘colleagues’, the broom jockey Cash and the deputy leader of the rotten party,SSSSSSSusan Ley(soon to be given the arse),not to forget the idiot Taylor,all swear their unwavering support for lance constable ,dog’s vomit Dutton.
If people can’t draw some deeply disturbing conclusions about this shower of shit,they’re beyond help.
On the very subject of this regrettable humanoid, there’s a very pertinent article by Michael Stanton in Pearls and Irritations today.Have a look.
There is a view that Turnbull chose to combine various security departments under the one umbrella and appoint an incompetent like Dutton in the hope that if Dutton had the authority that running a super department gave him that it would satisfy him and that he would not challenge Turnbull for the leadership. Not the only poor decision that Turnbull made in this time as PM but one that anyone who has followed Dutton’s progress through his political career will know was not only ill advised but potentially dangerous. But it was political and typical of Turnbull and the fact that Dutton had failed in every ministry that he has headed was not a consideration, it was to get him out from under Turnnbull’s skin, in the meantime the other parasite, Morrison, was white anting Turnbull at every opportunity.