Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton have launched a new round of mutual character attacks, with Albanese deriding the opposition leader for taking “a macho stance” on policy issues and suggesting Dutton believed politics was “all about testosterone”.
Albanese’s blast came during an interview prompted by the escalating conflict in the Middle East, in which he was also asked when he would clarify the government’s position on gambling advertising and why he would not endorse a total ban. He said Dutton had also not endorsed a total ban.
“I’m not quite sure where he’s coming from, except his macho stance,” Albanese told ABC Radio Melbourne. “He thinks that politics is all about testosterone. Well, it’s about getting things right and making the right decisions for the right reasons. And we will do that.”
At a news conference soon after, Dutton focused on the Albanese government’s response to the crisis in the Middle East, condemning Albanese personally and criticising the position he and his foreign minister had taken since the conflict expanded further into Lebanon.
“I just think every reasonable Australian at the moment is looking to their prime minister for leadership and what they’re seeing is weakness,” Dutton said. He accused Albanese and the government of failing to appropriately condemn Hezbollah, a designated terrorist organisation, for its attacks on Israel, and said Australia should help provide “support and stability” on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.
“It seems to me that the prime minister and Penny Wong at the moment are making decisions that are of political benefit to them domestically, which are not in our national interest,” Dutton said. “And I think they should stand condemned for that.”
At his own news conference in Melbourne, Albanese condemned Iran’s missile attacks on Israel after Israel’s retaliation against Hezbollah in Lebanon. He accused Dutton of trying to use events in the Middle East for domestic political purposes.
“Peter Dutton has never seen an issue in which he does not seek to promote division, and that is the characteristic that Peter Dutton has had his entire political career,” Albanese said. “It’s not strong to not understand that there’s a separation of powers in this country.”
Dutton has demanded that police charge some people who attended weekend demonstrations at which the Hezbollah flag and portraits of assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah were displayed.
He has also called for the government to urgently pass new laws to strengthen the existing provisions against hate speech and displaying symbols of terrorist organisations in certain circumstances.
Albanese suggested the existing anti-hate laws, which were passed earlier this year, were adequate. He said governments pass laws and police enforce them.
“What is important in Australia is that we do have the rule of law and a separation of powers,” Albanese said. “So I note some politicians are attempting to direct police on the way that they should act. But what police should do is enforce the law. The laws are there about hate symbols. The Hezbollah flag is quite clearly a hate symbol and should not be displayed here in Australia.”
He revealed he had spoken to Dutton on Saturday in relation to the Middle East security situation.
