Dutton uses campaign launch to make WILD accusation against Albo over the Prime Minister’s trainwreck interview on Chinese ownership of Darwin port: ‘Couple of wines’

By PADRAIG COLLINS FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: 05:06 BST, 13 April 2025 | Updated: 05:22 BST, 13 April 2025

Peter Dutton launched a series of personal attacks against Anthony Albanese during his campaign launch, even suggesting the Prime Minister had enjoyed ‘a couple of wines’ when making a major policy announcement. 

Mr Dutton levelled the accusation at the Prime Minister on Sunday as he touched on the decision to return the Port of Darwin to an Australian government approved operator rather than a Chinese company.

‘To give you an understanding of Labor’s approach, Mr Albanese heard that we were going to make this announcement, and after a couple of wines, it seemed he called into ABC Radio in Darwin,’ the Opposition leader said.

‘And he tried to fumble his way through the interview to say what he was going to do, how tough he was, how he was going to take the Port of Darwin back. 

‘The trouble for him was that the journalist who took the call knew a little more about the subject than he did.

‘And it started to unravel very quickly, and that interview didn’t end very well.’

Mr Dutton added that ‘it demonstrated to me, and I think to the Australian public, that this Prime Minister does things on the run. 

‘He’s always late to whatever needs to be attended to. And he doesn’t have the clarity and the vision and the strength for our country that’s required to keep us safe.’

The federal election campaign went deep into personal offence territory when Peter Dutton suggested Anthony Albanese was affected by alcohol when making a policy announcement

After Mr Dutton’s speech, he was slammed by ABC presenter Patricia Karvelas who said the Opposition leader ‘shouldn’t have said that. 

‘He is implying the Prime Minister was intoxicated if he said that. Well, he may not have liked the interview the Prime Minister did, that’s kind of a big accusation.  

‘The other part of this is of course – the Prime Minister has not been drinking during the election campaign, famously so I had him on Q&A and he asked for non-alcoholic drinks, he is off the wines.’

Mr Albanese’s call to ABC came at 4.21pm on Friday, April 4 after the Labor campaign was tipped off that Mr Dutton was about to announce the Coalition would take back the Port of Darwin if it won the federal election. 

So he made the call to get in ahead of the Coalition.

More to come… 

ABC’s Patricia Karvelas slammed Peter Dutton for suggesting Anthony Albanese (pictured) was ‘intoxicated’

Peter DuttonAnthony Albanese

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Dutton uses campaign launch to make WILD accusation against Albo over the Prime Minister’s trainwreck interview on Chinese ownership of Darwin port: ‘Couple of wines’

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