Peter Dutton urged to differentiate Liberal party after Aston loss prompts identity crisis

The Liberal candidate for Aston, Roshena Campbell, with opposition leader Peter Dutton on the campaign trail prior to the Aston byelection. Photograph: AAP

Liberal MPs have urged Peter Dutton to differentiate the party with fresh policies on home ownership and emissions reduction, after the “bitterly disappointing” once-in-a-century byelection loss in Aston.

Despite his poor standing in Victoria and metro seats, Dutton’s leadership is safe for now, with members mostly blaming the Albanese government’s honeymoon period and a threadbare policy agenda for Roshena Campbell’s loss to Labor’s Mary Doyle.