Dutton as Opposition Leader Will Cement ‘Alienation’ of Beijing: ‘Teal’ Independent Claims

Australian opposition leader Peter Dutton speaks during a press conference at the Amberley Air Base in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia, on April 8, 2022. (Dan Peled/Getty Images)

Newly elected “teal” independent MP, Dr. Monique Ryan, has accused the Liberal Party’s Peter Dutton of “alienating” the People’s Republic of China and local Chinese-Australians because of his strong comments against Beijing’s aggression.

She warned that Dutton as leader of the Liberal Party, would entrench such views within Australia’s main centre-right political party.

Ryan made the comments in an episode of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s “Q and A” on May 27, claiming as well that the previous Liberal-National Coalition government had moved too far “to the right” and “sensible centrists” like herself had stepped into the gap.

Ryan, the new member for Kooyong, ousted former federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in the recent election. She swept into power along with several other “teal” independent candidates backed by the wealthy Climate 200 group, which targeted key moderate-leaning Liberal Party seats in Australia’s inner cities.

Dr. Monique Ryan poses with her family after her victory speech at the Auburn Hotel in Melbourne, Australia, on May 21, 2022. (Sam Tabone/Getty Images)

“I think the Liberal Party really needs to take a really good look at itself,” Ryan said. “That’s why people who are trying to paint themselves as moderate liberals, like Josh Frydenberg, have lost their seats in the federal election—because they’re not representing the values of the communities.”

“Don’t forget, Dutton is a right-winger; he’s a [China] hawk. He has been belligerent towards China in a way that has not only alienated the People’s Republic of China, it has had a significant impact on the many Chinese Australians who have felt victimised within this country.”

“Him being elected as leader of the Liberal Party will cement that problem within that party.”

The six newly elected teal MPs have promised to help introduce a federal integrity body into politics, gender equality policies, and more robust action on climate change.

Yet some teals have expressed softer views on Beijing, despite its role as one of the world’s largest polluters and as a key manufacturer of renewable energy technology like wind turbines and solar panels—an investigative report from The Epoch Times revealed that six out of 10 Australian solar farms sourced panels from Chinese manufacturers likely to be using Uyghur forced labour.

The teal member for Wentworth in eastern Sydney, Allegra Spender, said it was an “incredible effort” that China had installed more offshore wind facilities than the whole world did over the last five years, while Ryan has been critical of the former government’s handling of bilateral ties with Beijing.

“China is our biggest trade partner, and the relationship with our biggest trade partner should be treated with respect and sensitivity, not with macho, breast-beating belligerence,” she said during a Sky News Australia-organised debate.

Under the former Turnbull-Morrison governments, Australia passed foreign interference laws, banned Huawei from taking part in the country’s 5G network in 2018, and was the first to call for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Dutton, the previous defence minister, has been an outspoken critic of the Chinese Communist Party’s aggression towards Taiwan and in the South China Sea—warning Australians of the possibility of conflict breaking out.

For his comments, he has been criticised by the now-governing Labor Party for being too strong in his rhetoric, with Senator Penny Wong accusing him of “amping up“ the prospect of war.

Prior to Dutton assuming the role of federal opposition leader, Western Australian Labor Premier Mark McGowan labelled the MP an “extremist” and “not that smart.”

As opposition leader Dutton will be tasked with rebuilding the Liberal Party and setting its direction going forward. The party will pivot its focus towards winning votes in suburban and regional electorates rather than competing for inner-city seats against the Labor Party, left-wing Greens, and teal MPs.

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