Dutton Hits the Right Notes in Budget Reply

His job in a budget-in-reply speech is to hold the government to account, not to govern himself. The time for detailed plans is much closer to the next election

Australian Opposition Leader Peter Dutton delivers his 2024-25 Budget Reply speech in the House of Representatives, Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on May 16, 2024. AAP Image/Lukas Coch

Commentary

When I watched Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s speech in reply to the Budget, I had lines from Sondheim’s “Bring in the Clowns” running through my head: “Me here at last on the ground/you in mid-air.”