Ministerial offices held


Minister for Defence
In office 30 March 2021 – 23 May 2022
Prime Minister	Scott Morrison
Deputy	Andrew Hastie
Preceded by	Linda Reynolds
Succeeded by	Richard Marles
Leader of the House
In office 30 March 2021 – 23 May 2022
Prime Minister	Scott Morrison
Preceded by	Christian Porter
Succeeded by	Tony Burke
Minister for Home Affairs
In office 20 December 2017 – 30 March 2021
Prime Minister	Malcolm Turnbull Scott Morrison
Succeeded by	Karen Andrews
Minister for Immigration and Border Protection
In office 23 December 2014 – 21 August 2018
Prime Minister	Tony Abbott Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded by	Scott Morrison
Succeeded by	David Coleman
Minister for Health
In office 18 September 2013 – 23 December 2014
Prime Minister	Tony Abbott
Preceded by	Tanya Plibersek
Succeeded by	Sussan Ley
Minister for Sport
In office 18 September 2013 – 23 December 2014
Prime Minister	Tony Abbott
Preceded by	Don Farrell
Succeeded by	Sussan Ley
Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer
In office 27 January 2006 – 3 December 2007
Prime Minister	John Howard
Preceded by	Mal Brough
Succeeded by	Chris Bowen
Minister for Workforce Participation
In office 26 October 2004 – 27 January 2006
Prime Minister	John Howard
Preceded by	Fran Bailey
Succeeded by	Sharman Stone

Member of the Australian Parliament
for Dickson

In office
10 November 2001 – 3 May 2025

Preceded by

Cheryl Kernot

Succeeded by

Ali France

Personal details

Born

Peter Craig Dutton

18 November 1970 (age 54)
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Political party

Liberal (federal)
LNP (state)

Other political
affiliations

Liberal-National Coalition

Spouse

Kirilly Brumby

(m. 2003)

Children

Education

Queensland University of Technology (BBus)

Signature

Police career

Department

Queensland Police

Allegiance

Queensland

Years of service

1990–1999

Rank

Detective Senior Constable

Peter Craig Dutton (born 18 November 1970) is an Australian politician. He was the Leader of the Opposition and leader of the Liberal Party of Australia from 2022 to 2025. He was also a member of parliament (MP) for the area of Dickson in Queensland from 2001 to 2025.

Before becoming Leader of the Opposition, Peter Dutton held important roles in different Australian governments. He was a cabinet minister from 2013 to 2022.

Early Life and Career

Peter Dutton was born in Brisbane, Queensland, on 18 November 1970. He is the oldest of five children. His mother worked in childcare, and his father was a builder. He went to St Paul's School in Bald Hills for high school.

When he was 18, Peter Dutton joined the Young Liberals, a youth group connected to the Liberal Party. He became a leader in the group. In 1989, at age 19, he ran for a state election but did not win.

Police Officer Years

After high school, Peter Dutton joined the Queensland Police Academy in 1990. He worked as a police officer for almost ten years. He became a detective senior constable. He left the police force in 1999.

Starting a Business

After his police career, Peter Dutton studied business at the Queensland University of Technology. He and his father started a business called Dutton Holdings in 2000. Their company bought and renovated buildings, turning them into childcare centres.

Entering Parliament (2001–2007)

Dutton with Indian finance minister P. Chidambaram in 2006

Peter Dutton was elected to the Australian Parliament in 2001, representing the area of Dickson. After the 2004 election, he became a minister. He was the Minister for Workforce Participation and later the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Revenue. He kept his seat in the 2007 election, even though his party lost government.

In Opposition (2007–2013)

When his party was no longer in government, Peter Dutton became part of the shadow cabinet. This meant he was a spokesperson for his party on certain topics. He served as Shadow Minister for Finance and later as Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing.

He worked on new health policies for his party. These policies were generally well-received by health groups. For example, the Australian Medical Association praised his plans to support general doctors.

Trying to Change Seats

Before the 2010 election, the boundaries of his Dickson seat changed, making it harder for him to win. Peter Dutton tried to run for a safer seat called McPherson. However, he was not chosen for that seat. So, he returned to campaign for Dickson and won the election with strong support.

Serving as a Cabinet Minister (2013–2022)

When the Liberal Party won the election in 2013, Peter Dutton became a cabinet minister.

Minister for Health and Sport

He was appointed Minister for Health and Minister for Sport. As Health Minister, he announced the creation of the Medical Research Future Fund, which aims to support important medical research. Under his leadership, funding for health services and public hospitals increased.

Minister for Immigration

Dutton (left) meeting with EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos in 2016

In December 2014, Peter Dutton became the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. In this role, he was in charge of Australia's immigration policies and border security.

Dutton (third from right) at an Australian citizenship ceremony in 2017

Minister for Home Affairs

Dutton (second from right) announcing the creation of the new Home Affairs portfolio in July 2017

In 2017, a new government department was created called the Department of Home Affairs. Peter Dutton was appointed its first minister. This department brought together many areas like national security, law enforcement, and immigration.

Immigration Rules

As Minister for Home Affairs, Peter Dutton oversaw rules about who could enter and stay in Australia. He supported a "character test" that could lead to visas being cancelled for non-citizens, even if they had lived in Australia for a long time. Many New Zealand citizens were affected by these rules.

A special visa was also introduced to help New Zealanders living in Australia become citizens, if they met certain income and residency requirements.

Leadership Challenges

In 2018, there were discussions about who should lead the Liberal Party. Peter Dutton challenged the then-leader, Malcolm Turnbull. He did not win the first vote. After a few days, he challenged again but was defeated by Scott Morrison, who became the new Prime Minister. Peter Dutton was then reappointed to his Home Affairs role.

Dutton representing Australia at a counter-terrorism meeting in Indonesia, 2018

2019 Election

Peter Dutton was re-elected in the 2019 federal election. A group called GetUp! campaigned against him in his area, but he still won his seat.

Minister for Defence

Dutton at Exercise Talisman Sabre 2021, with Major General Jake Ellwood and US Colonel Matthew Dalton

In March 2021, Peter Dutton became the Minister for Defence. In this role, he was responsible for Australia's military and national security. In July 2021, he announced that Australia's military presence in Afghanistan had ended.

Leader of the Opposition (2022–2025)

After the 2022 election, the Liberal Party lost government. Scott Morrison resigned as leader, and Peter Dutton was chosen as the new leader of the Liberal Party without anyone else challenging him. He became the Leader of the Opposition.

Peter Dutton led the Liberal-National Coalition into the 2025 federal election. The Coalition lost the election, and Peter Dutton also lost his own seat in parliament. He accepted responsibility for the party's defeat.

Political Views

Peter Dutton is known for his conservative political views. He leads a group within the Liberal Party called the "National Right." He is against Australia becoming a republic and believes it should remain a monarchy.

Energy and Environment

In 2023, Peter Dutton started supporting the idea of using nuclear power in Australia, especially small modular reactors. He suggested these could be built where old coal power plants used to be.

He has also expressed concerns about the environmental effects of large wind farms, saying that renewable energy should not come "at any cost."

Other Views

Peter Dutton opposes changes to negative gearing, which is a tax rule that helps property investors. He and his wife own several properties.

In 2018, he said he supports Australian school children saying the Oath of Allegiance, similar to how new citizens do.

Personal Life

Peter Dutton has three children. His eldest daughter was born in 2002. In 2003, he married his second wife, Kirilly, and they have two sons together.

He is a fan of the Brisbane Broncos, a rugby league team, and also supported the creation of a new Brisbane team, the Dolphins.

Peter Dutton facts for kids

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