Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. I refer to the former Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Peter Dutton, who this afternoon said:

… I believe I had the best prospect of leading the Liberal Party to success at the next election.

Is Mr Dutton correct?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I disagree with my good friend Peter Dutton. I support Prime Minister Turnbull. I've supported him loyally since he was elected leader in September 2015 and I will support him loyally as his representative in this chamber till the next election and hopefully, subject to the judgement of the Australian people, beyond.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Marshall, a supplementary question.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I again refer to the former Minister for Home Affairs, Peter Dutton, who went on to say:

My job from here … is to make sure I can prosecute the sort of messages that I have just spoken about and that is what I am focused on.

Has the Prime Minister sought Peter Dutton's advice about the sorts of messages he should be prosecuting?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Firstly, what I would say is that Peter Dutton is one of my closest personal friends in this parliament. The second thing I would say is that Peter Dutton has provided outstanding service to our nation, in particular in more recent times as the very effective Minister for Home Affairs. He has been an incredibly important contributor to the success of the Turnbull government, particularly in the space of national security and border protection. I can confirm that the Prime Minister and Mr Dutton, who has chosen to go to the backbench, have had conversations subsequent to the party room and that of course we look forward to the great contribution that Mr Dutton as the hardworking member for Dickson, representing the LNP in Queensland, will make to the future success of our government, including at the next election.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Marshall, a final supplementary question.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I again refer to the former Minister for Home Affairs, Peter Dutton, who this afternoon promised:

… I will do whatever I can now to make sure that we are in a position to win the next election …

Given Mr Dutton believes he is the best prospect of leading the Liberal Party to success at the next election, is the Prime Minister concerned he has not seen the last of Peter Dutton?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Peter Dutton put his hand up this morning to become the leader of the Liberal Party. That is a matter of historical record. The Liberal Party party room made a decision and provided support to Prime Minister Turnbull. All of us in the Liberal-National party—all Liberal Party and National Party members and senators—will work extremely hard to ensure that the Turnbull government is re-elected at the next election so we can continue to provide good government for the Australian people and so we can continue to implement our plan for a stronger economy and more jobs to ensure that people around Australia have the best possible opportunity to get ahead and protect them from the disastrous consequences of the antibusiness, anti-jobs, anti-opportunity, higher taxes agenda of the socialist leader of the Labor Party.