I was just thinking the other day about how we haven’t heard much from the erstwhile leader of the opposition since the last election, and lo, here he comes again:
The release of the Liberal Party’s review into its disastrous 2025 election campaign has been delayed because former opposition leader Peter Dutton claims elements of the report are defamatory to him and his staff.
The ABC has confirmed that Mr Dutton and other key players were given the report ahead of its release, which is usual practice.
However Mr Dutton has claimed in response that releasing it in its current form would be inappropriate because it contains claims about him and his staff he believes are defamatory, and has suggested its release carries legal risk for the Liberal Party.
The party’s secretariat has now held off on releasing the report in order to deal with the issues Mr Dutton has raised — with some believing he may sue the party if changes are not made. […]
The ABC understands Mr Dutton has told the party he is worried that his former chief of staff, Alex Dalgleish, is unfairly targeted in the report, and that his staff deserve protection. […]
One senior Liberal told the ABC the party’s review of its 2022 election loss was also critical of then-leader Scott Morrison, and accused Mr Dutton of holding himself and his office to a different standard.
The threat of potential legal action by a former party leader is also unusual and exposes a rift within the party.
I’m just wondering what might be “defamatory” in a report like this. I mean, the fact remains that the Coalition failed terribly at the last election. Someone has to take responsibility for that at some point. If Dutton thinks the report is unfair to his staff, then he can take it in their place, as he should anyway; he was a catastrophe of a candidate that even Australians weren’t stupid enough to vote for, and Australians voted Abbott and Morrison into power so that tells you how bad Dutton was. Ultimately YOU failed, Peter, rather than the people working for you… maybe let them decide if they want a legal battle.
