Peter Dutton warns colleagues against distractions and ‘Labor traps’

Peter Dutton has warned his colleagues not to be distracted by “Labor traps” — citing abortion and the NBN — while Anthony Albanese proclaimed his confidence the Government can be returned with an increased majority as the major parties swing into election mode.

The Prime Minister promised caucus colleagues Labor would reveal a series of key policies over the next couple of months to carry them into the election, due by mid-May.

Mr Albanese continues to be confident Labor will return a majority Government, despite polls pointing to a hung Parliament.

“We don’t want to just be in this room after the next election. We want to be here with more members and more senators,” he told colleagues gathered in the Government party room.

A Redbridge poll, reported in The West Australian on Monday, showed Federal Labor’s primary has held up in WA nearly to the level it was in 2022, suggesting the party would retain all the seats it won.

Down the corridor, Mr Dutton warned Opposition colleagues a late scare campaign in last month’s Queensland election over restricting access to abortion had cost the Liberal National Party votes in urban Brisbane seats.

The issue threatened to spill over into the Federal sphere when shadow frontbencher Jacinta Price gave an interview to Nine newspapers in which she declared “late-term” was any time after the first trimester and “full-term (abortion) becomes infanticide”.

Abortion is legal across all states and territories, with laws in most jurisdictions making it accessible until at least 20 weeks.

But a Liberal MP in South Australia took a bill to the State Parliament seeking to require people who wanted to terminate a pregnancy after 28 weeks to deliver their baby alive. It was narrowly defeated last month.

Coalition senators Alex Antic and Matt Canavan have also sought to introduce “born alive” laws relating to late-term abortions at a Federal level.

After Senator Price’s comments, Mr Dutton told ABC Radio he did not think the abortion debate was “shifting votes one way or the other”.

However, on Tuesday he told colleagues meeting in Canberra that it had an impact in some seats, warning them to heed the lesson.

He said while it had been an issue at the State election, it was not something the Federal parliament could address.

“Attempts by Labor to draw us off in that area should be seen as exactly what they are … as a distraction,” he said.

Nationals leader David Littleproud – a Queenslander like Mr Dutton – also hammered home the point about needing to stay disciplined.

He warned that in the lead-up to the election, “local candidates will be asked to support all kinds of causes” but it was vital to stay focused.

“Don’t be drawn into traps that are being set by the Labor Party,” he told colleagues.

Another trap Labor is attempting to set is legislation guaranteeing the NBN will stay in public hands — likened by one Coalition MP to a Seinfeld episode “all about nothing”.

The Opposition again peppered the Government with economic questions in Parliament, repeatedly accusing it of “reckless spending”.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers countered, accusing Mr Dutton of “reckless arrogance”.

“There’s always room in Liberal budgets for waste and rorts but never room to help people who are doing it tough,” he said.

Mr Albanese’s new policy offerings started last weekend with pledges to slash university student debt and enshrine fee-free TAFE places.

Shadow skills minister Sussan Ley attacked the TAFE policy on Tuesday, pointing to figures that showed at the end of March, just 13 per cent of students had finished their courses.

“Just 13 per cent of fee-free TAFE enrolments have resulted in a qualification being completed at a cost of $1.5 billion, all of which has to be paid for by taxpayers. Can the Prime Minister confirm how much of the $1.5 billion spent has gone to courses that will never be completed?” she asked.

The Government countered that the free TAFE scheme only started in early 2023 – Ms Ley’s figures were from only a year into the program – and that while four of the top five courses take 12-18 months to complete full time, most vocational students study part time.

Nationals veteran Michael McCormack put his pre-politics race-calling experience to work to offer an assessment of the state of play on Melbourne Cup day.

“Flight Upgrades now being called upon, you can’t rely on Interest Rates, New Homes nowhere to be seen, Immigration in a mighty rush, High Energy Costs charging ahead, Grocery Prices can’t continue, Economic Confidence has fallen,” he bellowed just ahead of question time.

“And just listen to the crowd! The Coalition now has its nose in front.”

Mr Albanese’s verdict: “While the content could have done with some adjustment, the delivery was magnificent.”