Peter Dutton, joining Paul Murray on Sky News, answers questions from voters

Mr Dutton joined host Paul Murray for an hour of questions, asked by his viewers. Mr Murray himself took a hands-off approach.

As we did for Anthony Albanese’s interview on 7.30 the night before, we shall run through the highlights topic by topic.

Domestic violence

Lavina asked Mr Dutton about one of the most serious problems in Australian life.

“There’s a common theme that Albo makes proposals, but that’s all they are,” she said.

“How, from your experienced perspective as a former policeman, will your government help women, children and men understand and support women escaping violence? And additionally, just educate, without ideology or demonising boys, about health, respectful relationships?”

“Thank you very much for talking to us about what I think is one of the most important topics we face as a country,” Mr Dutton replied.

“We need to make sure that in our own families, in our own lives, we’re instilling those values into our own kids. In the case of our own experience of raising our sons, we have always instilled in them from a very young age respect for their mother, respect for their grandparents, for their aunts, for their sister.

“There are many families where that works, and others where it doesn’t, even when you’ve passed that on to your kids.”

Mr Dutton went on to speak about financial pressure on families, as a factor, as well as the “clunky” family court system. And he called for there to be greater support for police officers responding to incidents of domestic violence.

He then alluded to dark incidents he himself had witnessed during his time in the police force.

“There is nothing more confronting than going into a household, into a home where you’ve got somebody, a woman, being held down on the floor. And I can picture this as I tell this story, at West End in Brisbane many years ago as a police officer,” he said.

“And you know, just this bloke, just punching into his wife on the ground. And you know, kids screaming, and some blood on the walls, and holes in the wall. They’re just horrific circumstances. And as a police officer, you go to half a dozen of those events a night.

“And I’m absolutely passionate about making sure that we can reduce that violence, because I believe solemnly that somebody’s home is their sanctuary, and you should be safe in your own home, and it shouldn’t be a place of fear.”

Spending and debt

Alan, from the Gold Coast, appeared brandishing a “cheeky” cap marked with the words: “Albo’s Debt Gotta Go.”

“Labor are spending like kids in a candy store, building up massive debt,” he said.

“This escalating debt should be paid off as soon as possible. My question is: what is your plan to stop our kids inheriting a budget black hole?”

“They’re the biggest spending government in four decades. When that last happened, Labor thrust us into recession,” Mr Dutton replied, before going on to note the threat of a downgrade to Australia’s AAA credit rating.

He said, by way of an example, that the Coalition could find savings in the public service.

“There are ways in which we can identify the savings and get us back to a balanced budget, which is what a Liberal government always does,” said Mr Dutton.

“But it’s not going to happen overnight. It will take time to grow the economy, to make sure we can keep the essential services running.”

Mental health

Sophia, a clinical psychologist from Moss Vale – Mr Dutton was actually in that town for one of his campaign announcements today – asked about the Opposition Leader’s plans for mental health, particularly when it comes to Australia’s youth.

That sparked a heartfelt discussion between Mr Murray and the Liberal leader.

“Why is it important as a matter of public policy?” the host asked.

“I have a fundamental belief that particularly children and adolescents should be able to live the best lives that they can,” said Mr Dutton.

“Otherwise kids are missing out, being robbed, of the joy of childhood. From a values perspective, it’s something that is very important to me.”

“Sometimes the kids are not all right. And it’s not about the old school ‘cement and harden up’. It’s something we truly need to deal with,” Mr Murray added.

“It’s not because there’s something wrong with them. It’s because now, clearly, we know more about how our brains work than ever before.”

Rural Australia

Beverly and Dudley, a couple from regional Australia, asked about the focus governments tend to have on the more populous (and vote-rich) cities.

“The focus seems to be on what can be achieved in city areas. What’s best for the city?” Beverly said.

“What can you do to stimulate development in regional and rural areas? In housing, jobs – some decentralisation of things.”

Mr Dutton said the Liberal Party “instinctively wants to provide support for people from regional areas”.

“Infrastructure is required. One of the things we’ve worked really closely with the Nationals on is a fund where we can provide additional support for instrastructure in regional areas. So upgrades around airports, around health services,” Mr Dutton said.

“And I think sometimes, probably most acutely in the energy debate, people in cities just expect people in regional areas to take the solar farms and to take the wind turbine projects, and let that spoil your amenity.

“Well that’s not how we think.”

As part of this answer, Mr Dutton mentioned his parents. Mr Murray asked how Mr Dutton’s father was going after the health incident that struck him during week one of the campaign – Mr Dutton replied that his father is doing well, and will turn 80 on Monday. The pair hope to grab a steak together.

Small business

Shane, from Perth, suggested the Liberal Party had largely abandoned its traditional support for small business. So for the first time in the evening, Mr Dutton pushed back.

“As a third-generation Liberal voter who grew up on a farm and has run small businesses for over 20 years, I’m struggling to recognise the party I once proudly supported,” Shane said.

“The Liberal Party was built on values like entrepreneurship, backing small business and supporting those willing to have a go, values that now seem lost.

“There’s little support, no meaningful policies and no safety net for the people taking all the risk. We don’t get a guaranteed income. We don’t get super. And at this rate, small business will disappear.”

He asked when the Liberal Party would stop “chasing a centre-left identity”.

“Shane, I’ve got a difference of opinion, I might say, in relation to our support of small business,” Mr Dutton told him.

“Most of us come from a small business background, and our instinct is to help.”

He reeled off policies like an increase to the instant asset write-off, for example.

And the Liberal leader mentioned his visit to a farmers market in Nowra earlier in the day, during which he spoke to the proprietors about the cost challenges they were facing.

Treatment of veterans

Jeff, from Geelong, expressed concern about the reluctance of young Australians to join the nation’s military. He argued one reason might be the past treatment of veterans.

“Is part of the Defence budget going to speed up needed services to the men and women who have served this nation?” he asked.

“As Defence Minister, I was very acutely aware of the treatment of some of our veterans, which has been appalling, and we tried to rectify some of those issues,” Mr Dutton said.

“We’ve got Barnaby Joyce, as you know, who’s very passionate in this area and very determined to provide justice and support to veterans, and that will be backed up with money as well.”

He went on to concede that the “separation rate” – the number of personnel leaving after a few years of service – is “way too high”.

“We invest a lot of money in people to train them up to be the best in the world, and then we’re happy to see them go out the door after three or four or five or six years’ service. That is not something we should tolerate,” said Mr Dutton.

“We should probably provide every encouragement for people to stay on. But in addition to that, make it more attractive for other young Australians to look at it as a positive career.”

How to vote cards

Peter, from the ACT, proposed eliminating something many Australians consider an annoyance, if not a scourge.

“With all this messing around from Albanese re doing deals with the Greens, preference voting and so forth, why don’t we just make the how to vote card illegal? That way, no one is telling you who to vote for or how to vote?” Peter asked.

“You don’t have to take the how to vote card, and increasingly people don’t,” Mr Dutton said.

“But for a lot of Australians it’s confusing.”

This potential confusion, Mr Dutton argued, was a reason to take his party’s card.

“For a lot of people, they get confused, and particularly regarding the Senate. So I think it is best that you take the how to vote card from your Liberal or National candidate, and please follow it, because otherwise you could inadvertently vote for the Labor Party.”

Pensions

Finally Barbara, from West Kempsey, noted that Mr Dutton’s proposed cut to the fuel excise would benefit pensioners like herself. But she also noted it’s only temporary.

She asked whether he would consider raising the pension, noting that this year’s increase of $2.60 per week “would barely buy a cup of coffee”.

Mr Dutton spent some time speaking about the fuel excise policy before he got around to the actual thrust of Barbara’s question.

“Also, we’re saying that you can work more hours if you choose to do so, and that won’t impact on your pension,” he added.

“So that will increase the number of hours that people can work.”

He said it was “a question of what we can afford to do” and “how we can do it responsibly”.

“And Coalition governments, normally, will provide short term support, but ultimately we want to bring taxes down across the economy so we can provide further incentive for people to work harder, and to receive more of the money that they work hard for.”