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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Daniel Hurst

Labor denounces Peter Dutton’s ‘conspiracy theory’ that China wants Coalition to lose election

Brendan O'Connor and Peter Dutton at the defence debate at the National Press Club
Defence minister Peter Dutton and Labor’s Brendan O’Connor challenged each other on China during a spirited election debate at the National Press Club. Photograph: ABC TV

Australia’s defence minister declared he has “no doubt” the Chinese Communist party wants the Morrison government to lose the election, prompting the opposition to denounce the appeasement claims as a “conspiracy theory”.

Peter Dutton was challenged during a debate on Thursday to defend the government’s rhetoric that a Labor government would “appease” the CCP – after previous pushback from current and former national security officials – and said he believed it “very strongly”.

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