Opposition leader Peter Dutton has again tried to reshape his public image, saying a controversial joke he made in 2015 about climate change in the Pacific was “in bad taste”.
Key points:
- Peter Dutton says he is “as human and as fragile” as anyone else
- Sussan Ley says he wants to have “honest conversations” about why women moved away from the Liberal Party
- A Liberal senator has called for a review of the pre-selection process in New South Wales
Mr Dutton was Minister of Immigration when in 2015 he was caught with an open microphone joking about “water making [the] door “of the nations of the Pacific islands.
This is a comment that Labor continues to use to accuse the Coalition of damaging relations in the region, an issue that became a focus of the election campaign after the security pact between China and the Solomon Islands.
The new Liberal leader apologized for the comment in 2015 and today reiterated that he regretted doing so.
“Over the years I’ve made some bad taste jokes, just like anyone else, and I’ve apologized for that,” he said.
“I’m as human and as fragile as anyone else.”
LIVE UPDATES: Follow all post-election actions while the countdown continues
For the past week, Dutton has been trying to reshape his image, urging people to reserve their judgment on him until they see his “whole character.”
He reiterated that the positions he has held in the past — such as defense, home affairs, and immigration — have not allowed him to show himself fully and are roles that make it difficult to “dodge a smile or a joke.”
The women “did not listen” to the Liberal Party, Ley says
Dutton’s newly elected MP, Sussan Ley, said she planned to visit and talk to women in the seats the Liberals lost to find out what the party should do to regain their vote.
Ms Ley has acknowledged that women withdrew from the party during the election and said the new leadership was determined to regain their confidence.
“I don’t think women heard much of what we were saying. Maybe they didn’t think we were focusing on them and their lives,” she said.
“But again, a lot of women supported us and I’ve heard from a lot of these women.
“I don’t shy away from the fact that a lot of women didn’t support us and I want to have honest conversations and I don’t want to overlook anything and I want to listen to women directly.”
Sussan Ley says he wants to sit down and talk to women about the problems they see with the Liberal Party. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)
Ms Ley said she would talk to the party’s New South Wales state division over the idea of quotas for female representation, but that it was more important to her that there be a clear path for women to enter politics and raise your hand.
He also indicated that the Coalition could support the implementation of the recommendations of the Respect @ Work report and that make the employer’s obligation, called “positive duty”, eliminate sexual harassment in the workplace “worth more consideration.”
Election news:
He agrees to change the pre-selection process
New South Wales Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg has called for a review of the pre-election process following the party’s electoral defeat.
Preselections in the state were delayed after the federal intervention, which installed candidates without the vote of grassroots members.
This included Warringah’s controversial candidate Katherine Deves, who was hand-picked by former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, among others.
In a letter to party members, Senator Bragg said the party was not a dictatorship and called for a reduction in the federal leader’s influence in pre-election processes.
“Your right to have your say and to select our candidates is the most important reason to be a member. However, this precious right was withdrawn as our constitution was twisted and broken.” write.
“We are committed to ensuring that this never happens again.”
The listed reforms include a clear timetable for the selections to be made available to the public.
To ensure the party is competitive in the next election, the moderate senator said such reforms were necessary.
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Posted 2 hours ago Tuesday, May 31, 2022 at 12:10 PM, updated 1 hour ago, 1 hours ago, Tuesday, May 31, 2022 at 1:00 AM