Some thoughts on the Hon. P. Dutton, MP [Note: Content Warning - links to reports on bigotry/hate, SA/CSA, violence/abuse. Reader discretion is advised]

Note: CONTENT WARNING - some of this content is about upsetting, disturbing or triggering events & attitudes. Seek competent help - including professional - if you need it. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that linked articles may contains names and/or images of deceased people. READER CAUTION IS RECOMMENDED! For anyone distressed by anything in this post, or for any other reason considering seeking support, resources are available in Australia here, here, and here. In other nations, you will have to do an Internet search using terms such as “mental health support - <your nation>” (which, for instance, may lead to this, this, and this, in the USA, or this, this, and this, in France [biased towards English-language - my apologies]), or perhaps try https://www.befrienders.org/. 

 

There have been a few media articles on the Hon. P. Dutton, MP of late which I consider are worth thinking about: 

“More Australians agree with Dutton’s visa pause for Gazans than oppose it, Guardian Essential poll shows | Essential poll | The Guardian”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/aug/27/more-australians-agree-with-duttons-visa-pause-for-gazans-than-oppose-it-guardian-essential-poll-shows     

... which I posted about here, and ... 

“Peter Dutton’s opponents cast him as a divisive figure. What if they tried the Tim Walz approach instead? | Peter Lewis | The Guardian”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/27/peter-dutton-gaza-refugee-visas-palestine-ntwnfb     

That is an interesting suggestion, and as first step towards exploring that, I decided to do some research, and came across this from the Wikipedia article at https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Peter_Dutton&oldid=1241836369:

• member of Qld’s notorious police, who have an appalling history on racism, sexism, domestic  violence, the LGBTQIASB+ community, and children (and see also the articles here), from 1990-99; 

• started property developing after leaving the police; 

• elected to national Parliament in 2001, tried to change to a safe seat in 2009 (to the displeasure of some of his constituents and his party), has held the seat since, sometimes by as few as 217 votes, other times with strong margins;
  

• Minister for Health 2013-14, and “In a 2015 poll by Australian Doctor magazine, based on votes from over 1,100 doctors, Dutton was voted the worst health minister in the last 35 years by 46 percent of respondents.[34]”; 

• as Minister for Immigration (2014-17): 
• cancelled the visa of an anti-abortion person who called for abortionists to be executed (which I consider a good decision and a useful precedent); 
  
• described a journalist as a mad ____ing witch (she accepted an apology; as a Pagan and a woman, I still consider the act unacceptable);
• claimed refugees were illiterate - the absurdities of which are shown by this, this, this, and this; 
• denied a later confirmed allegation of spying on an Australian Senator - who he attacked (no apology despite her being proved correct - and no response mentioned to her pointing out the abuses of female and child refugees during his Ministerial tenure);
• was the subject of a recommended censure for his strictly legal interventions regarding several au pairs on the basis of allegedly misleading Parliament, but survived the no confidence vote; 
• made an appalling “joke” about rising sea levels in the Pacific, which he initially refused to apologise for but later did; 
  
• criticised the admission of Lebanese migrants by the Fraser government, which the Foreign Minister later claimed was only about those (very few) migrants who had been charged with t_rr_r_sm ... ;
• wrong information about events on Manus Island - but note also that child abuse did occur (see dot point above); 
• as Minister for Home Affairs (2017 - 2021): 
• offensive comments about “a civilised country” when discussing attacks on white farmers in South Africa that were being blatantly mischaracterised as a “white genocide”. The comments caused diplomatic problems.
  This pro-migrants-who-were-white stance is in stark contrast to Dutton’s recent remarks against  Palestinian refugees, which have been characterised as racist;
  
• the heartless use of criminality (misdescribed as “character”) tests as an excuse to deport New Zealanders - which also caused another major diplomatic problem; 
• offensive remarks about a refugee family’s very normal, very human, decision to have children (contrast that with the attitude towards the au pairs of people who were rich enough to be able to afford children and au pairs); 
• anti-democratic statements favouring the silencing of dissent in the form of protests; 
• as Minister for Defence (2021-22): 
• shut down DEI measures;
• committed to defending Taiwan (which I also consider important for the sake of freedom & self determination);
• lost a defamation case against a refugee activist which goes back to the earlier occurrence of rapes while Dutton was Minister for Immigration;
• Also: 
• promotion of nuclear energy (!); 
• maintenance of negative gearing - which benefits him and other rich people; 
• wants superficial, US-style jingoism in the form of a school pledge of allegiance; 
• opposes Equal Marriage and attempted to shut down discussion on the matter.
  

Note that Dutton has a skin condition causing causing hair loss:  alopecia totalis. I do not know what impact that has had on his life, but it does change the nature of comments about his appearance.

 

When I look at that summary, my reactions are: 

• at the very least, Dutton has made some bad judgement calls. Some of those may be out of a misplaced sense of loyalty - an expectation of blind loyalty, perhaps - to his party, but the truth of the matter is that ALL our elected representatives are meant to be loyal to Australia (or Australian voters) first and foremost, although their interpretations of what that may entail differs; 

• that attitude has disturbing parallels to the closed shop mentality of police forces, and the social status driven attitudes of the class elitists who are drawn to (and/or drive) neoliberalism - and I note his stubborn doubling down on issues and attempts to limit dissent/discussion;

• I consider many of the points in my post “Police are NOT scientific [Note: Content Warning - discussion, and links to reports, on bigotry, violence, and abuse - including of power. Reader discretion is advised]”   https://politicalmusingsofkayleen.blogspot.com/2024/07/police-are-not-scientific-note-content.html   may apply here; 
• is clearly against inclusion of diversity; 
  

• it is difficult not to see Dutton as racist and/or xenophobic and/or a participant in the cultural wars on the conservative side that worships the western “civilisation” that has destroyed social cohesion & decency, trampled on and stolen from Indigenous people, enabled mass abuses (including war), and is currently destroying this planet’s climate (and thus our species’ chances of survival ... ); 

• Dutton appears to be following the Tony Abbott playbook of offering a zero size target and opposing/undermining irrespective of value stances - a playbook that worked well against the ALP previously, and seems to be causing discombobulation again ...
  

 

So ... what to do against all that? 

Well, I like the suggestion of trying a Tim Walz style approach, but I can't see exactly how to do that. The article talks about starting with the big picture on issues, and that “it is only when we celebrate the richness of our diversity that we will be able to take race off the table and have the important discussions we need to bind us all closer together”. 

That approach might well work on the issues of race and refugees, but that would have been best implemented some time ago - including by selection of candidates who would clearly be selling that message. 

There are, however, other issues as well - religion and LGBTQIASB+ people, and Israel’s wars against Palestinians, neighbours, and decency. 

What is the catchy, humorous, and inoffensive phrase or word that will be as effective as the Harris-Walz use of “weird”? (“Doubtin' Dutton?”   ...   “Dutton is good at maths ... especially division”   ...   “Duckton dodges the issues”)  

PS - note also: 

• “Jewish Council of Australia opposes Coalition’s antisemitism Bill, citing political agenda to stifle free speech on Palestine”   https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/media/jewish-council-of-australia-opposes-coalitions-antisemitism-bill-citing-political-agenda-to-stifle-free-speech-on-palestine     
  

PPS - see my PPS at   https://politicalmusingsofkayleen.blogspot.com/2024/08/results-of-coronial-inquiry-into-tragic.html   , which raises behaviour by Dutton that is, in my and others’ opinion, apparent hypocrisy     

Assumptions / basis 

In writing this, I have assumed / started from the following: 

• this blog states quite clearly that it is about political and human rights matters, including lived experience of problems, and thus I will assume readers are reasonable people who have noted the content warning in the post header;

Possible flaws 

Where I can, I will try to highlight possible flaws / issues you should consider:

• there may be flawed logical arguments in the above: to find out more about such flaws and thinking generally, I recommend Brendan  Myers’ free online course “Clear and Present Thinking”; 
  
• I could be wrong - so keep your thinking caps on, and make up your own minds for yourself.
  

 

 

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