Albanese says Coalition ‘more conservative than they have ever been’ as Dutton labels him ‘weakest’ prime minister | Australian election 2025

Anthony Albanese has launched a stinging attack on Peter Dutton, accusing the opposition leader of a “cold-hearted, mean-spirited” politics that has targeted vulnerable people and skewed the Coalition “more conservative than they’ve ever been”.

As both men started their election bids with early January campaigning, Dutton brushed off the prime minister’s criticisms as “mud” and “lies”. The opposition leader is under pressure to announce some new substantial policies and a long-awaited reshuffle of his shadow ministry, just months out from the election – a fact Albanese highlighted, calling the Coalition’s weekend campaign rally a “damp squib”.

“Peter Dutton represents a cold-hearted, mean-spirited, sometimes just plain nasty response and that’s not going to help people,” Albanese said on ABC radio on Monday.

“Peter Dutton has built a career on dividing people. He’s built a career on targeting people, particularly people who are vulnerable.”

The prime minister’s rebuke of his opponent came after months of Dutton branding the Labor government and Albanese as “weak” and “incompetent” – criticisms he repeated on Monday.

“If he had a successful period as a prime minister, if he had a period of achievement the last two-and-a-half years, he would not need to continue to make up these lies and throw this mud,” Dutton told a press conference, in response to Albanese’s comments.

“People want more from their prime minister and unfortunately this prime minister, who is the weakest that we’ve seen since federation, is leading in a way that makes Gough Whitlam look like a competent leader of our nation.”

Albanese and Labor have sought to attack Dutton’s personal credibility and suitability for the nation’s top job, a plan that has so far not appeared to have borne electoral dividends. The latest Guardian Essential poll in December found Albanese’s net approval rating was at -11, with 50% disapproving and 39% approving, while Dutton’s approval rating was +3, with 44% approving of his performance and 41% disapproving.

With Labor’s 2025 election slogan, “building Australia’s future”, Albanese began the year with a positive message and campaign-style travel through northern Australia, announcing infrastructure funding last week and new investments in the national broadband network on Monday, and seeking to contrast his approach to Dutton’s.

“[Our slogan] is ‘building Australia’s future’ because we want a positive vision. We don’t want Australia to go backwards,” Albanese said on ABC Melbourne.

“He [Dutton] has never sought to bring people together, which is why his own party rejected him and elected Scott Morrison as leader, even though Scott Morrison had a very small base of support, because they understood that he represented a shift to a hard right version of the Liberal party.”

Addressing his senior ministers at the start of a federal cabinet meeting on Monday, Albanese claimed the Coalition “have shifted to the right over a period of time … are more conservative than they’ve ever been”.

In a press conference to announce an equity injection of up to $3bn to connect more Australian homes to the NBN, Albanese ridiculed the Coalition’s policy offering unveiled thus far. He pointed to Sunday’s opposition campaign rally, where no major new initiative was revealed.

“There was a big buildup last week, and nothing. It was like a balloon with a pin in it. Nothing. Just air floated out and produced nothing at the end, except a bit of rubber on the ground. It was the biggest damp squib done by any political leader to begin a political year in an election year,” Albanese said.

Dutton on Monday announced a Coalition government would commit $7.5m over three years to Crime Stoppers, to expand its operations in local communities.

“This funding commitment will provide Crime Stoppers with a greater level of financial certainty to help Australia’s law enforcement agencies to crack down on the illicit drug trade, and other violent and non-violent offences,” he said in a statement.

“A Dutton Coalition government will get Australia back on track by tackling the crime and anti-social behaviour that threatens the safety of our communities.”