Peter Dutton considered pulling out of the first leaders’ debate of the election campaign after his father was rushed to hospital after a heart attack.
The opposition leader on Wednesday confirmed his father was now doing well, adding that he pushed ahead with the previous night’s political showdown as his sisters provided updates from the hospital.
Mr Dutton said he spoke with his father in the morning and he was “good”.
“He’s 80 this year, he’s a great man, he’s stoic and he’s a tough old bugger so he’ll be fine,” he told Nova Sydney radio.
“I love him very much.”
The opposition leader started his day in Sydney after debating Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on US tariffs, the cost of living and energy costs at a people’s forum hosted by Sky News the previous night.
Though the audience deemed Mr Albanese a narrow winner, one in five remained undecided, reflecting how close the election race remains across the country.
Coalition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume said Mr Dutton’s decision to show up proved his credentials for the top job.
“That Peter fronted up to the debate after hearing that news and performed exceptionally well is demonstrative of just how dedicated he is to the job that he has, and the kind of prime minister he will be,” she told Seven’s Sunrise program.
Mr Dutton, at the debate, released modelling for the coalition’s plan to cut power prices by forcing companies to keep gas in the Australian market.
“You will see the wholesale price of gas coming down very quickly when it filters through to consumers,” coalition energy spokesman Ted O’Brien told ABC radio.
This would offer households a seven per cent fall in their gas bills and three per cent cut to their electricity bills, though Australians may have to wait up to a year for savings to kick in.
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