Peter Dutton has signalled that he is preparing to back the government's landmark proposed federal anti-corruption commission, declaring his confidence that "there'll be a bill that we can support".
The Albanese government is expected to unveil its model for a federal integrity commission in parliament on Tuesday, amid ongoing debate about how it will operate and the scope of its powers.
The key questions include who the proposed watchdog will be able to investigate, whether it can launch its own probes independently and whether it can hold public hearings.
In a wide-ranging interview with Four Corners about his leadership, Mr Dutton said he remained cautious about a commission that would hold "a show trial".
"I don't want people's lives destroyed," he said.
"I'm not interested in something which is titillating for the media, but ultimately not good for democracy in this country."
However, Mr Dutton added: "I support the integrity commission, we're working with the government in that regard, and I believe that there'll be a bill that we can support."
The former Coalition government, of which Mr Dutton was a senior minister, failed to implement an anti-corruption commission during its term of office. Mr Dutton defended this decision.
"I think the two issues that we had as a former government with the integrity commission [were], one, about public trials and that's the show-trial element, which is still problematic and the government concedes that point," he said.
"I think the other difficulty that we had was some of the breadth, and I think that's being addressed by the government as well. I think they're fairly pragmatic in their approach and as I say, we're working constructively with the government. They'll have a bill shortly and I suspect we'll be in a position to support that."
Mr Dutton sat down with Four Corners for a rare in-depth discussion about his background, record in politics and where he wants to take the Liberal Party.
'Hard edges come off as you get older'
When Mr Dutton took over the Liberal leadership in May after the Coalition's election loss, he said he wanted the community to see "the entire person" — beyond the tough public persona shaped by nine years as a Queensland police officer and then his time as minister for defence, immigration and home affairs.
"Sometimes the public only see a snapshot of you through a very quick grab in a news package or during question time," he told Four Corners.
"And in this role, you can show people a little bit more of the true … the full picture."
Mr Dutton told Four Corners that his perspective has changed in the decades since he was a police officer.
"I think some of the harder edges come off as you get older," he says.
"I think as you mature and see things from different perspectives than just one … in that job where you're dealing with victims of crime each day and where you're dealing with offenders who have committed those offences against individuals … I think that becomes your world.
"Once you leave it, there's obviously greater exposure to the other 90, 95 per cent of the public who are very good people."
But Mr Dutton's words and actions while he was a powerful cabinet minister have had significant impacts on people's lives.
One of those people is lawyer and human rights advocate Nyadol Nyuon. She argues that when it comes to assessing Mr Dutton's suitability as a political leader, his record is a far more important consideration than whether or not he has a "softer" side.
"For people who say that he's not a monster, he's a good man, he has a good heart … first of all, that's an important consideration," she says.
"We need to know that the people that are leading us are good and kind, but that's not, to me, the relevant question, really.
"The relevant question is, how has Peter Dutton used public power? And if you analyse his conduct over 20 years, you get a very particular picture about the man that Peter Dutton has chosen to be, publicly."
Ms Nyuon says she and many other migrants wouldn't feel safe in Australia if Mr Dutton were prime minister because of comments he's made in the past.
Ms Nyuon was critical of Mr Dutton in 2018 when he leapt into the political debate over a crime spree in Melbourne that some commentators and politicians were sheeting home to "African gangs".
In a state election year, the Victorian Labor government was coming under attack over its response when Mr Dutton declared: "People are scared to go out to restaurants of a night-time because they're followed home by these gangs, home invasions and cars are stolen, and we just need to call it for what it is, of course it's African gang violence. It's not the whole community, there are many good people in the community".
Ms Nyuon said these and other comments, such as Mr Dutton questioning former prime minister Malcolm Fraser's decision to allow Lebanese Muslims to emigrate to Australia because a small number had been since charged with terrorism offences, were problematic.
"We have his comments about African gangs. We have his comments about Lebanese people. That, to me, for a multicultural society, that record speaks for itself," she says.
"Many of us are not going to feel safe in a country led by Peter Dutton. I certainly will not."
However, Mr Dutton rejected this.
"I was the defence minister, I was the home affairs minister," he says.
"I've stopped terrorist attacks from taking place in our country. I've put record resourcing into all of our intelligence and defence agencies to keep us safe … I think if you look objectively at my record and what I stand for, I think it's a statement that frankly just has no foundational justification at all."
'I call bullshit on that"
Some of Mr Dutton's colleagues argue that Mr Dutton's time in the tough portfolios of defence, immigration have led to him being misunderstood by sections of the public.
When he took over the leadership, there was speculation that as a leading conservative Mr Dutton would drag the Liberal party to the hard right.
However, veteran Liberal MP Warren Entsch disputes that analysis.
"I noticed … when we first talked about him coming into the role that he is now, everybody's saying he is going to drive … to the far right, the ultra-far right. I call bullshit on that, quite frankly. Nothing could be further from the truth," he says.
Mr Entsch points to Mr Dutton's role in Australia's marriage equality debate as a prime example.
Mr Dutton is credited by many colleagues with having backed the idea of a postal survey of Australians and bringing conservative elements of the Liberal party room with him.
This was despite years of personal opposition to the reform.
"Not only did he actually enable the process by putting that up and getting it through and not having to push it through the Senate, but he reflected the views of his constituency," Mr Entsch says.
"He didn't excuse himself from the chamber as many did and go outside and abstain. He wasn't one of the four or five that sat on the no side. He actually voted yes for it.
"If it hadn't been for him doing what he did, it may well be … We would still be kicking that can down the road."
Not everyone is happy to hand Mr Dutton praise on the issue.
"I don't recall Peter Dutton having a particular role in promoting the cause of marriage equality," former independent MP for Wentworth, Dr Kerryn Phelps, told Four Corners.
"If you ask anyone in the LGBTQI community about the impact of that postal survey process on their lives and their wellbeing, it was very damaging."
Home ownership on Dutton's agenda
Mr Dutton says as Liberal leader and potentially prime minister, one of his priorities is to create better opportunities for young people.
"To make sure that we have an economic environment where young kids who come from poorer backgrounds can go on to a tertiary education," he says.
Mr Dutton bought his first home shortly after joining the Queensland police at age 19.
Last year, he and his wife Kirrilly sold their home in Palm Beach on the Gold Coast – an area known as "millionaire's row" — for $6 million.
"I was the first person to receive a tertiary education in our family and I'm proud of that. It was because of the work of my mum and dad to support that. And I want kids to be able to buy their first house at 19 or 20 if they've worked hard," he says.
"That is an increasingly difficult dream for a lot of Australians. I want to make sure that we have a country where people have choice about their education, about their work opportunities."
However, Mr Dutton says assumptions about his wealth were "overstated".
"I think people make all sorts of assumptions about assets [and] don't take into account the mortgages that you might have," he said.
"I mean, so people make those assumptions, but I did work hard and I bought my first house at 19 or 20 or something like that. And I was able to invest in shares and renovate houses.
"And I probably worked too hard early on as a police officer and then I had a small business interest on the side. So, working two shifts a day and I wanted to be in a better financial position than I'd grown up in."
The Duttons presently own a cattle farm and residence in Dayboro, north of Brisbane, and an investment unit in the Brisbane CBD they purchased last year for $2.7 million.
Early opinion polling has put Mr Dutton's rating as preferred prime minister at below 20 per cent.
However, former prime minister Tony Abbott says no one should pay attention to the finding so early in Mr Dutton's leadership.
"Politicians need character, conviction and courage," Mr Abbott says.
"Successful politicians also need energy and luck. Now, I think Peter has character, courage and conviction in abundance. I think he's demonstrated over the past 20 odd years in parliament, he's very hard working and energetic. Let's see whether he has got the luck."
Watch the full program tonight on Four Corners on ABC TV or ABC iview.
