Peter Dutton admits he made a ‘mistake’ when he boycotted the national apology to Stolen Generations

Peter Dutton has admitted he made a ‘mistake’ when he boycotted Kevin Rudd’s national apology to the Stolen Generations in 2008. 

The newly elected Liberal leader told reporters on Monday he believed an apology should only be extended when the problem of family violence among Indigenous communities had been resolved. 

Mr Dutton said he had witnessed scenes of family violence in Aboriginal communities during his near ten-year career with Queensland Police and said he would support tangible efforts to improve conditions for women and children. 

‘Many of you have lived out in regional areas and many of you haven’t. I worked in Townsville,’ the former defence minister said. 

‘I remember going to many domestic violence instances, particularly involving Indigenous communities, and for me at the time I believed that the apology should be given when the problems were resolved and the problems are not resolved.’ 

Mr Dutton was one of only a handful of Liberal MP’s who boycotted the national apology to the Stolen Generations back in 2008. 

He walked out of the House of Representatives before the apology was made. 

During an appearance on an episode of the ABC’s Q&A in 2010, the politician said he didn’t regret his decision and said he saw Mr Rudd’s apology as ‘tokenism’. 

‘I regarded it as something which was not going to deliver tangible outcomes to kids who are being raped and tortured in communities in the 21st century,’ he said. 

‘Now, if I thought for a moment that it was going to deliver positive outcomes to those kids, to their families, to those communities, then I would support it in a heartbeat. But I thought it distracted us from that.’

Mr Dutton on Monday said Parliament is on a ‘unity ticket’ to improve the position of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders across Australia. 

He added that he was ‘very happy’ to speak to the Albanese government about the Voice to Parliament for Indigenous Australians – a proposed body of elected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who would advise Parliament on decisions affecting the lives of First Nations Australians.

‘I understand the symbolism and I made that mistake,’ Mr Dutton continued. 

‘But for me it came from a place where I just find it unbearable to think that those little kids are facing that situation or women are facing significantly higher domestic violence circumstances and realities in those communities.’

A young Peter Dutton (pictured right) was in the Queensland Police Force for almost a decade and witnessed scenes of domestic violence within Aboriginal communities

Mr Dutton will become the first Queenslander to lead the Liberal Party

Mr Dutton vowed to work with the government to improve conditions in Aboriginal communities but questioned how acknowledgement of country at meetings could actually inspire change.

‘Going to a meeting here in Canberra and giving ten acknowledgements to country, that’s fine, and I don’t say that in a disparaging way,’ he said. 

‘I want to know how it is we’re going to support those kids and how it is we’re going to get higher health outcomes and mortality rates, more kids through university, just to finish primary school and secondary school to start with.

‘That’s just the perspective that I bring to it.’ 

The 51-year-old was elected unopposed as the new Liberal leader on Monday, with former environment minister Sussan Ley taking the deputy spot.

Mr Dutton will become the first Queenslander to lead the Liberal Party after being touted as Scott Morrison’s likely replacement since the coalition lost government.

Mr Dutton has served in parliament for more than 20 years

Speaking to reporters after Mr Dutton was elected, Mr Morrison (pictured together) said both he and Ms Ley were an ‘enormously experienced team’

Prior to entering politics Mr Dutton was employed by the Queensland Police Force for almost a decade, working in the National Crime Authority as a detective in the Drug and Sex Offenders Squads in the suburbs of Brisbane.

In his maiden speech in parliament in 2001, Mr Dutton said he’d witnessed ‘the best and the worst that society has to offer’ during his time in the force.

‘I have seen the wonderful, kind nature of people willing to offer any assistance to those in their worst hour, and I have seen the sickening behaviour displayed by people who, frankly, barely justify their existence,’ he said.

‘I am proud of the fact that I had a distinguished career in the police service and that that service saw me perform duties all over the great state of Queensland.’

Meanwhile, the new Liberal leader has already taken aim at the Labor party in his first speech after being dubbed the Opposition leader.

Mr Morrison is seen walking in Parliament House as the new Liberal leader was announced

‘By the time of the next election in 2025, we will have presented a plan to the Australian people which will clean up Labor’s inevitable mess and lay out our own vision,’ Mr Dutton said.

‘Make no mistake, and Australians understand this, the next three years under Labor is going to be tough for the Australian people.

‘Already they’re breaking promises and foreshadowing policy shifts.’

Mr Dutton’s likely main challenger was Mr Frydenberg, but after he lost his seat of Kooyong in the Federal Election, it became a one-horse race. 

He spruiked his credentials for the job of opposition leader following his nomination. 

‘In a prime minister you need someone who won’t buckle in hard times and will stand up for our country and I have proven that in the portfolios I’ve had,’ the new Liberal leader wrote on Facebook. 

Former Liberal leader Scott Morrison put on a brave face when he arrived at Parliament House on Monday

Mr Dutton had all but been confirmed to be the new Liberal leader after running unopposed

‘My work ethic is second to none and I have the skill and experience having served five leaders and have learnt from each.’

Mr Morrison put on a brave face when he arrived at Parliament House on Monday to watch his successor be elected.

Speaking to reporters on Monday morning, Mr Morrison said both he and Ms Ley were an ‘enormously experienced team’.

‘I was very pleased that they served in my cabinet, they did outstanding jobs,’ the former prime minister said.

‘They’re incredibly experienced, well versed, deeply committed Australians to both the Liberal cause and of course the cause of the nation and I think they’ll do an outstanding job.’

Who is Peter Dutton? 

Peter Craig Dutton, 51, was born in Brisbane and served in the Queensland Police for a decade while running a construction business with his father.

Soon after leaving the police he was elected to parliament in the seat of Dickson at the 2001 election.

He filled minor ministry positions under John Howard and was promoted the health minister when Tony Abbott brought the Liberals back to power.

Mr Dutton later served as immigration minister and then led the expended Home Affair Department, before becoming defence minister last year.

A member of the Liberal Party’s right wing faction, Mr Dutton is more conservative than most of his fellow MPs and is polarising with voters as a result.

While immigration and home affairs minister he made numerous inflammatory comments about immigrants and asylum seekers.

He claimed refugees would take jobs from Australians and in 2016 said Liberal PM Malcolm Fraser letting in Lebanese Muslim refugees during the war was a mistake.

Mr Dutton refused to let the Biloela family stay in Australia and called their two children ‘anchor babies’.

At the same time he advocated Australia treating white farmers form South Africa as refugees from ‘genocide’ and controversially gave visas to three French au pairs.

As defence minister he made numerous inflammatory statements about China as relations deteriorated over Mr Morrison’s calls for an inquiry into the origins of Covid-19.

Mr Dutton doggedly opposes gay marriage, easing drug laws, and aggressively countering climate change.

He owns six properties along with his second wife Kirilly and opposes any changes to negative gearing.

Mr Dutton was expected to become prime minister in August 2018 when Malcolm Turnbull was deposed, but Mr Morrison unexpectedly emerged victorious.

He is again heavily favoured this time around after his main competition, treasurer Josh Frydenberg, lost his seat at the 2022 election.