Peter Dutton

The Honourable Peter Dutton MP
Minister for Immigration and Border Protection
Incumbent
Assumed office 23 December 2014
Prime Minister	Tony Abbott Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded by	Scott Morrison
Minister for Health
In office 18 September 2013 – 23 December 2014
Prime Minister	Tony Abbott
Preceded by	Tanya Plibersek
Succeeded by	Sussan Ley
Minister for Sport
In office 18 September 2013 – 23 December 2014
Prime Minister	Tony Abbott
Preceded by	Don Farrell
Succeeded by	Sussan Ley
Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer
In office 27 January 2006 – 3 December 2007
Prime Minister	John Howard
Preceded by	Mal Brough
Succeeded by	Chris Bowen
Minister for Workforce Participation
In office 26 October 2004 – 27 January 2006
Prime Minister	John Howard
Preceded by	Fran Bailey
Succeeded by	Sharman Stone
Member of the Australian Parliament for Dickson
Incumbent
Assumed office 10 November 2001
Preceded by	Cheryl Kernot
Personal details
Born	Peter Craig Dutton 18 November 1970 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Political party	Liberal Party of Australia (Federal) Liberal National Party (State)
Alma mater	Queensland University of Technology
Website	www.peterdutton.com.au

Peter Craig Dutton (born 18 November 1970),^[1] Australian politician, has been a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives representing the Division of Dickson, Queensland since the November 2001 federal election when he defeated high-profile sitting Labor member Cheryl Kernot. Dutton was the Minister for Health and the Minister for Sport from 18 September 2013 and Minister for Immigration and Border Protection from 21 December 2014 in the Abbott Government. Dutton retained his portfolio in the Turnbull Government.^[2]

Early years and background

Dutton was raised in Brisbane, Queensland, and was educated at the Queensland Police Academy before becoming a Queensland Police officer for nine years, working in the Drug Squad in suburbs such as Red Hill, Brisbane in the early 1990s.^[3][4]

On leaving the police in 1999 he became a businessman and completed a Bachelor of Business at the Queensland University of Technology.^[5][6]

Political career

Dutton was elected to the Division of Dickson at the 2001 election, defeating Labor's Cheryl Kernot.

After the 2004 federal election Dutton was appointed to the ministry. He was Minister for Workforce Participation from 2004 to 2006. In January 2006 he was appointed Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Revenue. Dutton successfully retained Dickson in the 2007 federal election with a majority of 0.26%, after an 8.76% swing to his rival Fiona McNamara.

In 2008, when new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologised to the Stolen Generations, Dutton was the only coalition front bencher to abstain.^[6]

In 2009, a proposal was made under the Commonwealth Electoral Act to alter Dutton's electorate of Dickson. The alteration may have had the effect of making the seat less secure for the Liberal Party. Wary of losing his place in the House of Representatives, Dutton sought endorsement for the safe Liberal seat of McPherson. Despite the support of Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull, the retiring member for McPherson Margaret May, and several other party luminaries including former Prime Minister John Howard,^[7] Dutton was defeated by rival candidate Karen Andrews.^[8] The final redistribution cemented the erosion of the Liberal Party's position in Dickson, albeit less adversely than originally proposed.^[9] With no better option available to him, Dutton opted to recontest Dickson at the next election.^[10]

Dutton contested and won Dickson at the 2010 federal election, achieving a swing of 5.45% to easily overcome the 2009 redistribution. This resulted in a two-party-preferred vote of 54.69% as of 23 August 2010. Following the 2010 election, he was appointed as Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing.

Minister in the Abbott/Turnbull Governments

Dutton retained his seat at the 2013 election, and now sits on a margin of 6.7%. He was appointed to the Ministry by former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, and served as Minister for Health and Minister for Sport.

Dutton attempted to introduce a GP copayment of $7, but this proved highly unpopular with both the public and the medical profession, and the plan was dropped. Dutton was overwhelmingly ranked as the worst health minister in 35 years according to a poll run by Australian Doctor magazine.^[11]

On 23 December 2014, Dutton was sworn in as the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection after a cabinet reshuffle.^[12]

The Migration Act 1958 gives the minister the power to impose a character test on people requesting visas to enter Australia.^[13] In 2015, Dutton cancelled the visa of anti-abortion activist Troy Newman, over remarks in his 2000 book Their Blood Cries Out.^[14][15]

On 11 September 2015, Dutton was overheard on an open microphone, prior to a community meeting on Syrian refugees, joking about the plight of Pacific Island nations facing rising seas from climate change.^[16]

In 2016, News Corp Sunday political editor Samantha Maiden^[17] wrote a column critical of Jamie Briggs^[18] and Dutton drafted a text message to Briggs describing Maiden as a "mad fucking witch" but inadvertently sent it to Maiden herself.^[19] Maiden accepted an apology from Dutton.^[20][21]

Nauru spying

On 5 June 2015, Dutton categorically denied claims made by Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young that she was spied on during a visit to Nauru. At the same time he called into question her credibility and track record "when it comes to facts".^[22] The spying claims were later confirmed by the Immigration Department and Wilson Security who carried out the spying operation.^[23]

References

1. Parliament of Australia (2007), The 41st Parliament: Senators and Members, by Date of Birth. Retrieved on 18 November 2007.
2. "Tony Abbott's cabinet and outer ministry". smh.com.au. AAP. 16 September 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
3. "About Peter Dutton". PetterDutton.com.au.
4. "Dickson". ABC Elections. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
5. "The Hon Peter Dutton MP". Australian Parliament House.
6. Misha Schubert (7 October 2009). "To some he's the messiah, to others a duplicitous polly".
7. Glenn Milne (28 September 2009). "Liberals can't lose Dutton". The Australian.
8. "Dutton loses Liberal preselection". Brisbane Times. 3 October 2009.
9. "Dutton may fight for Dickson". AAP. 16 October 2009.
10. "Dutton to fight for Dickson". ABC. 20 October 2009.
11. Medhora, Shalailah (2015-01-12). "Peter Dutton ranked as worst health minister in 35 years in poll of doctors". The Guardian. Retrieved 2015-06-07.
12. "New Abbott ministry sworn in by Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove". Sydney Morning Herald. 23 December 2014.
13. "MIGRATION ACT 1958 - SECT 501 - Refusal or cancellation of visa on character grounds". AustLII.
14. "Troy Newman, Head of U.S. Anti-Abortion Group, Is Held in Australia Over Canceled Visa". The New York Times. 2 October 2015.
15. "Troy Newman Claims He Never Called For Executing 'Abortionists.' Has He Read His Own Book?". Archived from the original on 3 January 2016.
16. "Peter Dutton overheard joking about rising sea levels in Pacific Island nations", ABC News, 11 September 2015
17. "Samantha Maiden". Archived from the original on 3 January 2016. National Political Editor Sunday Tele, Sunday Herald Sun, Sunday Mail, Sunday Tas. Totally mad witch
18. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/samantha-maiden-jamie-briggs-booted-for-being-fool/story-fni0cwl5-1227695533401
19. "News Corps' Samantha Maiden on Dutton's text mix up". SoundCloud.
20. "Samantha Maiden says she is happy to accept Peter Dutton's apology". ABC News.
21. "Peter Dutton says sorry to journalist for 'mad witch' text". ABC News. Retrieved 2016-01-04.
22. "Sarah Hanson-Young labels Tony Abbott creepy over his response to Nauru spying allegations". The Sydney Morning Herald. 5 June 2015.
23. "Immigration Department confirms Sarah Hanson-Young was spied on". The Age. 10 June 2015.

External links

• Personal homepage
• APH's profile
• Search or browse Hansard for Peter Dutton at OpenAustralia.org