But he also highlighted his experience in the health,finance,assistant treasurer,sport and employment portfolios and paid tribute to two political mentors – John Howard and Peter Costello – in a message to members of the moderate wing of the party,who have seen a raft of MPs swept out of parliament by Labor,the teal independents and the Greens.
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“We aren’t the ‘Moderate Party’. We aren’t the ‘Conservative Party’. We are Liberals. We are the Liberal Party. We believe in families – whatever their composition. Small and micro businesses. For aspirational hard-working ‘forgotten people’ across the cities,suburbs,regions and in the bush,” he said.
The comment recalls Sir Robert Menzies’ decision to name the party the Liberals,rather than the Conservatives,when he founded the party in 1944.
Liberal MPs have in interviews over recent days played down Dutton’s “hard man” image and emphasised his pragmatic approach to policy as a social,rather than religious,conservative.
Dutton expressed hope that as opposition leader – a position he is likely to win unopposed – “the Australian public can see the rest of my character. The side my family,friends and colleagues see”.
“The side my community sees where they have elected me eight times. I come from the suburbs and I have never changed my values or forgotten where I have come from,” he said.
His wife Kirilly,a successful businesswoman,backed her husband to lead the Liberal Party.
“Peter is an amazing father and the kids adore him. He has a great sense of humour – very dry and witty but he also has an incredible compassion,particularly when it comes to the protection of women and children,” she said in the statement.
“He hides a lot of his emotion from the public but he gets most upset at reports of children or women being sexually abused or harmed. It obviously stems from his time as a policeman working in that area but it’s also from being the eldest of five kids growing up in the suburbs.”
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Labor MPs are also positioning for promotion as Anthony Albanese prepares to unveil his ministerial line-up early next week,with at least three cabinet changes in the offing.
Richard Marles willmove into the defence portfolio,which means a role will need to be found for former spokesman Brendan O’Connor,with the home affairs portfolio a possibility after Kristina Keneally lost her bid to shift to the lower house seat of Fowler.
Former shadow environment minister Terri Butler will also have to be replaced and two women are expected to replace Keneally and Butler.
Albanese is expected to reduce the cabinet from 23 to 21 members but the ministry will still number 30,with 16 members from the Right and 14 from the Left – depending on the final break down of seats.
From the Left faction,NSW senator Jenny McCallister is considered a strong chance to move into cabinet while from the Right,NSW MP Kristy McBain and Queensland MP Anika Wells could be promoted into the outer ministry.
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Victorian MP Rob Mitchell,who was deputy speaker in the last Parliament,is in the running for the speaker’s job,though Queensland MP Milton Dick and NSW MP Sharon Claydon have also been discussed – as has Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie. Senator Sue Lines is expected to become Senate president.
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