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National
Tess Ikonomou

Dutton, Ley to take leadership ‘unopposed’

Former defence minister Peter Dutton is due to be elected as Liberal leader, with former environment minister Sussan Ley taking the deputy spot, unopposed.

Queensland Liberal MP Stuart Robert on Monday said their run for the parliamentary positions won’t be contested.

“Peter Dutton … and Sussan Ley will be sworn in by the party room uncontested,” he told Nine Network.

“(I’m) super happy about the party room and the leadership team we’re bringing in.”

Mr Dutton will become the first Queenslander to lead the Liberal Party. 

The Dickson MP has been touted as Scott Morrison’s likely replacement since the coalition lost government at the federal election on May 21.

NSW Liberal senator Hollie Hughes says Mr Dutton will lead the party back to the centre-right as it looks to rebuild.

Former home affairs minister Karen Andrews, also a Queenslander, says the leadership duo would offer the skills and depth needed to take the party forward.

Mr Dutton, a former police officer, spruiked his credentials for the job of opposition leader following his nomination. 

“In a prime minister you need someone who won’t buckle in hard times and will stand up for our country and I have proven that in the portfolios I’ve had,” he wrote on Facebook. 

“My work ethic is second to none and I have the skill and experience having served five leaders and have learnt from each.”

In his post, Mr Dutton vowed Australians would see another side to his character, after having held difficult portfolios. 

“I hope now, in moving from such tough portfolios, the Australian public can see the rest of my character. The side my family, friends and colleagues see.”

Mr Dutton has pledged to take the party back to its core values and represent the aspirational “forgotten people” of Australia.

“We aren’t the Moderate Party. We aren’t the Conservative Party. We are Liberals,” the post said.

The Liberal Party has never had a leader from Queensland since it was founded in 1944.

But the new Greens MP for the Brisbane-based seat of Ryan Elizabeth Watson-Brown said voters won’t be “enamoured” by Mr Dutton.

“The Liberal Party does need to do some soul searching,” she told the ABC.

“The general sense was that their campaign was sort of pretty disgraceful, there was a lot of culture war baiting (and) inaction on climate change,” she said.

“The voters of Ryan will not necessarily have a particularly benign view of Peter Dutton.”

The Nationals will also hold a leadership ballot on Monday. 

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