Dutton’s first campaign event at Brisbane brewery also gatecrashed by heckler
Josh Butler
Peter Dutton’s first official campaign event of the election is at the XXXX brewery in the heart of Brisbane – and already it’s been interrupted by an environmental protester brandishing a “no new coal or nuclear” sign with the Rising Tide logo on it.
The woman was quickly grabbed by security and dragged out down the stairs. She yelled “why are you lying about the cost of nuclear?”
It comes after green group Rising Tide has gatecrashed several Liberal campaign events recently, including Dutton’s speech at the Lowy Institute.
🚨 Peter Dutton’s first campaign event (at the XXXX brewery in Brisbane) gate crashed by an environmental protester brandishing a “no new coal or nuclear” sign – the woman quickly grabbed by security and dragged out down the stairs pic.twitter.com/rP6m1FOJMU
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) March 28, 2025
Back on the event: we’re in the electorate of Greens-held Brisbane, formerly held by Liberal Trevor Evans, who is fighting to retake the seat. It’s also near the also formerly Liberal-held Ryan, also won by the Greens in 2022.
Evans and the Liberal’s Ryan candidate, Maggie Forrest, are here as Dutton takes a tour of the factory where the iconic yellow cans are produced.
Dutton has taken a brief tour of the factory floor where the canning line lives, and we’re expecting a press conference shortly.
Key events
Dutton is asked about energy prices several times at this presser, and each time he ducks and weaves.
He was asked if he is going to voters and saying “just trust me” on prices, considering he continues to refuse to provide any modelling and details.
Dutton countered by saying his plan was “based on economics”, and then proceeded to explain his policy is based on hypotheticals:
If you bring more supply into the market, if you bring more gas into the market, you will bring the price down. And so we lower the prices, you know, and we went through some of this detail on Thursday night.
He was then pressed on why he has not put a figure on 2035 emissions targets, to which he said it would be “reckless” to do so before speaking to “the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and of finance and of Treasury”:
I’m keen to speak to the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and of finance and of Treasury, so that we can provide in an informed way and in a way that is achievable. There’s no sense doing, as the Labor Party says, and damaging the Australian economy, putting out numbers there that aren’t based, in fact, just emotion because they’re chasing inner city votes from green voters in Melbourne and Sydney.
Dutton refuses to outline how energy prices will fall under gas plan
The opposition leader has next refused to outline how much energy prices would potentially fall under his gas reservation plan.
Dutton has previously promised bills would fall, but has so far failed to actually outline any details around that. But he did say he would make “tough decisions” on dealing with gas companies:
Well, there’s gas already. Obviously that is being exported, but it’s not contracted to do so under the foundation contracts. And that’s the point that I’d make. We don’t need to rely on new gas wells. There is gas there now. We will work with the companies, and we’ve been working on this plan for months in consultation with stakeholders and others who have expertise in the area.
I just think we need to point out that it is a very significant part of our economy, and it’s a big part of why electricity prices have gone up and why gas prices are up by 34% under this government. So we’ve got a plan. It’s a positive plan.
Opposition leader calls Labor $5-a-week tax cuts ‘farcial’
Dutton has continued, laying into the government’s tax cuts, which he described as “farcical.”
He said families that use two cars would only save around $30 a week under his party’s reduced fuel excise, as opposed to the Labor tax cuts that would result in $5 back in voters pockets:
I mean, I think it’s actually farcical and it’s insulting to Australians who are really going through a lot of pain under this government at the moment.
Analysis: Albanese begins confident offensive deep in enemy territory
Dan Jervis-Bardy
There were no day-one press conference stumbles this time as a confident Anthony Albanese began the road to re-election deep in enemy territory.
After starting the 2022 campaign on the back-foot with an embarrassing failure to name the cash rate and jobless figure, Albanese started the 2025 race on the offensive, staging his opening event in Peter Dutton’s own electorate of Dickson.
“This is Queensland’s most marginal seat and with a margin with one in front of it, we intend to run a very serious campaign,” Albanese said, standing alongside Labor’s candidate in the seat, Ali France.
Dickson sits on a margin of 1.7%, meaning it is winnable on paper. With Labor strategists expecting losses in Melbourne and NSW, the party needs to gain ground elsewhere if Albanese wants to retain majority government.
But the choice of campaign location on Saturday was less about electoral arithmetic than about sending a message: Dutton, we’re coming for you.
That Albanese chose a Medicare urgent care clinic was no coincidence. Health is a perceived strength for Labor and a weakness for the Liberal leader, who doctors once named Australia’s “worst health minister” after attempting to introduce a $7 GP co-payment under Tony Abbott.
Dutton has attempted to neutralise those attacks, matching Labor’s $8.5bn boost to Medicare – and promising a further $500m for mental health and investment to slash the price of PBS-listed medicines.
But Labor still see a vulnerability – one which Albanese and his health minister, Mark Butler, and the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, sought to ruthlessly expose on Saturday morning.
“[In his budget reply speech] Peter Dutton tried a new version of the promise he made to Australians 10 years ago that there would be no cuts to health,” Butler said.
“There might be some fancier words, but it’s just as hollow.”
Dutton claims climate is ‘incredibly important to us’ and that protesters are ‘extremists’
Dutton is then asked about the protestors that have interrupted both his events and the prime minister’s events earlier today, and whether that would “change the way you campaign over the next five weeks”.
Dutton began by addressing the protestors directly:
Climate is incredibly important to us, and we have to meet our net zero by 2050 targets as we’ve committed to. Our plan is about getting prices down through bringing more gas into the domestic market, and that more supply will bring prices down under Mr Albanese.
The renewables only policy is going to drive prices up further. Secondly, we’ve got a longer term plan and [as] Keir Starmer points out in the UK they can’t reach their climate change commitments. They can’t decarbonise without nuclear in the system.
So I just think we have to have a mature conversation in our country about it. But people who are extremists, who want everything shut down tomorrow, that’s not where the vast majority of Australians are. And I just think there will be extremes in all of these debates.
My job is to do the right thing by this country, and we will make the decisions that will be of benefit to Australian consumers and Australian businesses, because Australians just can’t afford three more years of Mr Albanese and increasing costs.
Peter Dutton reiterates focus on economy in first election pitch
And with that, we jump straight into opposition leader Peter Dutton’s campaign launch, at the XXXX Brewery no less.
He begins by saying this election is “really is about who can manage the economy” and that the vote will ultimately come down to who voters “trust to manage the economy”:
I want to make sure that it’s easier, not harder for Australians. And this election really is about who can manage the economy. Who do you trust to manage the economy? Who do you trust to keep our country safe in uncertain times?
Bandt on if Labor refused negotiations in minority government: ‘I would be astounded’
At questions, Bandt is asked what he makes of a potential minority government, and whether Labor would do a deal with him:
Look, I would be astounded if anyone refuses to respect the will of the people. We have a situation in Australia where less than a third of the country voted for the government.
People understand that we can’t keep voting for the same two parties and expecting a different result. And there is a growing desire from the Australian people for there to be more voices at the table. And so I would be absolutely astounded if any politician, including Anthony Albanese, refused to respect the Parliament, that the Australian people elected.
Greens election focus: ‘keeping Peter Dutton out’
Bandt continued making his pitch, best summarised by the man himself:
That’s our goal this election. Keep Peter Dutton out, get Labor to act with real action on the cost of living, housing and climate and environment crisis.
I note that the prime minister has decided that he’s going to spend part of his first day attacking the Greens. Well, look, you know, the Greens are focused on keeping Peter Dutton out. If the prime minister wants to spend his time attacking the Greens, well, you know, you do you Prime Minister, but we’re focused on keeping Peter Dutton out.
Greens launch election campaign kicking off three-way battle for Brisbane
The Greens have launched their own election campaign, also in Queensland (a running theme today) with the party’s leader, Adam Bandt, saying Brisbane voters are “in the box seat”:
They can keep Peter Dutton out and get Labor to act by getting dental into Medicare, by capping rent increases and making it free to see the GP, all while taking real action on climate and the environment. People here don’t want Peter Dutton bringing his Trump style politics to Australia, and people in Brisbane certainly don’t want to see us going nuclear.
Dutton’s first campaign event at Brisbane brewery also gatecrashed by heckler
Josh Butler
Peter Dutton’s first official campaign event of the election is at the XXXX brewery in the heart of Brisbane – and already it’s been interrupted by an environmental protester brandishing a “no new coal or nuclear” sign with the Rising Tide logo on it.
The woman was quickly grabbed by security and dragged out down the stairs. She yelled “why are you lying about the cost of nuclear?”
It comes after green group Rising Tide has gatecrashed several Liberal campaign events recently, including Dutton’s speech at the Lowy Institute.
🚨 Peter Dutton’s first campaign event (at the XXXX brewery in Brisbane) gate crashed by an environmental protester brandishing a “no new coal or nuclear” sign – the woman quickly grabbed by security and dragged out down the stairs pic.twitter.com/rP6m1FOJMU
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) March 28, 2025
Back on the event: we’re in the electorate of Greens-held Brisbane, formerly held by Liberal Trevor Evans, who is fighting to retake the seat. It’s also near the also formerly Liberal-held Ryan, also won by the Greens in 2022.
Evans and the Liberal’s Ryan candidate, Maggie Forrest, are here as Dutton takes a tour of the factory where the iconic yellow cans are produced.
Dutton has taken a brief tour of the factory floor where the canning line lives, and we’re expecting a press conference shortly.
And we understand opposition leader Peter Dutton is due to also launch his campaign in Brisbane, at the XXXX Brewery.
PM ‘looking forward’ to debates with Dutton
And the PM wraps up his presser by taking a heavy swing at the opposition, saying that they were “not ready for government.”
He goes on to mention that he is “looking forward” to his debates with Dutton, as well as ministerial debates, before taking one final swipe:
Frankly, there are a range of people who sit on their front bench who I doubt whether any of the press gallery here would know what their portfolios are. That is just a fact.
… My government is made up of fantastic people who are committed to making a positive difference and building Australia’s future, not going back. We can’t afford to go back.
PM: ‘I am one for one in election campaigns’
Asked about his disastrous start to the 2022 election – where he failed to name the cash rate and unemployment rate – the PM grins and says:
I am one for one in election campaigns.
I reckon there would be a few people who would like to have that number. I have been both been in politics for a long time, for a long time … I’ve gotten better each and every day because I’ve learnt something every day.
