Federal election 2025: Labor targets Peter Dutton’s Queenslander origins

Labor is trying to target Peter Dutton where it hurts: calling into question the proud Queenslander’s loyalty to his state of origin.

The Government only holds five of the 30 seats in the Sunshine State and is unlikely to win many more on May 3.

In a bid to shore up more support, Anthony Albanese held a campaign rally in Brisbane on Sunday, marked by a series of sledges from the Government’s Queensland contingent aimed at the Opposition Leader in his hometown.

Mr Dutton is the first Federal Liberal Party leader to come from Queensland.

He grew up in suburban Brisbane, worked as a Queensland police officer, and has held the outer-metro seat of Dickson since 2001.

But Treasurer Jim Chalmers — born and bred in Logan — accused Mr Dutton of “being from Queensland but not for Queensland”.

Dr Chalmers even went as far as to strangely claim Anthony Albanese — a New South Welshman — was more tapped into Queensland than Mr Dutton.

“When the cyclone was bearing down and millions were in harm’s way, Anthony Albanese came to Queensland to help. Peter Dutton went to Sydney to help himself,” he said in a speech warming up the crowd for the Prime Minister’s address on Sunday.

“What is wrong with these people. Scott Morrison fled to Hawaii, this guy fled to Sydney Harbour. While the PM was delivering disaster relief, the Opposition Leader was busy measuring the curtains at Kirribilli. The prime ministership is not an audition for The Apprentice.”

His comments referenced Mr Dutton’s trip to Sydney for a party fundraiser hosted by hospitality billionaire Justin Hemmes and the Liberal leader’s comments this past week that he would live in Kirribilli, not Canberra, because “we love the harbour”.

Mr Albanese had also attended a fundraiser in Sydney on the same day as Mr Dutton, as northern New South Wales and Queensland prepared to be hit by cyclone Alfred.

Dr Chalmers claimed in his speech that Labor’s Queensland contingent might be light on numbers, but he argued it punched above its weight within the Government. He said it was no accident Mr Albanese had started his campaign in Mr Dutton’s seat of Dickson.

“(Peter Dutton) is from Queensland but he’s not for Queensland. Anthony Albanese is not from Queensland but he is for Queensland,” Dr Chalmers said.

“He started the year in Gympie backing the Bruce with billions of dollars to connect people and communities and economies. Started the campaign with Fitstop in Dickson and fizzy drinks in Bundy.”

Queensland colleague, Aged Care Minister Anika Wells, went even further during an interview on Sky News, saying the Coalition had “fired their best shot” in running a Queenslander as their leader. She said Mr Dutton was “all over the place like an Easter egg hunt”, with policy announcements that reversed previous positions.

“It’s not credible, and they see that; Queenslanders can smell bulls... a mile off,” she said.

She even bizarrely claimed he may be the “first ever Queenslander who’s voluntarily signed up to support NSW at State of Origin”, without any proof that was fact.

Mr Dutton was in Tasmania on Sunday talking up his Apple Isle credentials for a rally of party faithful. He hit back at Labor over its attacks on his record on healthcare.

“There are a lot of Labor lies flying around at the moment,” he said.

The Coalition has matched almost all of Labor’s promises on health, including an $8.5 billion injection into Medicare to boost bulk-billing rates.