Duttons Duplicitous Denial: What It Tells Us About Our Leaders

Whoops

Imagine for a moment that you’re a few days late reporting a change in circumstances to Centrelink. Maybe you picked up an extra shift, forgot to update your income, or simply made an honest mistake on paperwork. We all know what comes next: a debt notice, threats of legal action, and the crushing machinery of bureaucracy bearing down on you without mercy. Now flip the script and imagine you’re Peter Dutton, Leader of the Opposition and former Minister for Defence and Home Affairs. You’re being questioned for potentially failing to properly declare your financial interests on the parliamentary register - not once, but repeatedly - and your response? A casual shrug and the breezy assurance that it’s fine because you’re “doing it properly now.”

Welcome to Australia’s duplicitous political system, where regular proles are fed into the bureaucratic meatgrinder—sometimes to literal death—while the ruling class stuff their faces like pigs at the trough, gorging on privilege and accountability-free entitlement like toddlers shitting in a sandbox without a care in the world.

Dutton’s recent dismissal of his declaration failures represents something far more insidious than mere administrative oversight. It exposes the hypocrisy of a man who oversaw a government that illegally hunted welfare recipients while treating his own legal obligations as optional, but, most importantly, can’t see why this really, really matters.

The audacity is staggering coming from a former (and he’ll never let us forget it) cop who routinely beats the law-and-order drum. But I guess when you’ve spent years (and have formal training in) enforcing rules on others, you start to believe they don’t apply to you. The message couldn’t be clearer: “Rules for thee, not for definitely not for me.”

Dutton’s Declaration Delinquency

Let’s talk about Peter Dutton’s “complicated” relationship with parliamentary transparency, shall we? In February 2023, our Opposition Leader was caught with his pants down around his disclosure ankles, forced to update his register of interests after “forgetting” to declare his directorship of the RHT Family Trust for nearly TWO DECADES. Parliamentary rules explicitly require MPs to declare all directorships under the Members’ Interests resolution, yet somehow this particular detail conveniently evaded Dutton’s supposedly razor-sharp mind until journalists started poking around.

Dutton’s response? “I think what’s important is that it’s declared now,” he told reporters, while maintaining 84 declared interests that required multiple corrections.

The RHT Family Trust wasn’t Dutton’s only “oopsie.” His wife’s interests in Bald Hills Childcare Centre and various property investments were revealed through retroactive disclosures.

Most recently, in December 2023, Labor MPs raised questions about yet more potentially undeclared interests, including a property in Brisbane’s inner-north suburb of Balmoral. Dutton’s response pivoted between claiming everything was properly declared (it wasn’t) to suggesting any oversights were merely technical in nature and therefore inconsequential. When backed into a corner, his office defaulted to the politician’s favourite playbook: characterising legitimate inquiries as a “desperate smear campaign.” The desperation of the libs losing control on power. Thanks Uncle Sam.

Beyond Robodebt—The Pattern of Double Standards

Dutton’s declaration amnesia sits in stark contrast to he still unresolved Robodebt catastrophe where thousands of Australia were hounded for debts THEY DID NOT OWE. Sadly, although this is one of the more striking of the Coalition’s calculated efforts to fuck over those they don’t have, it is by know means isolated.

Remember Bronwyn Bishop’s [“Choppergate” scandal](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/aug/02/bronwyn-bishop-travel-expenses-scandal-how-it-unfolded? Our former Speaker of the House thought it perfectly reasonable to charge taxpayers $5,227 for a helicopter ride from Melbourne to Geelong (a 75-minute drive) to attend a Liberal Party fundraiser. When caught, she initially refused to apologize, claiming she was “entitled” to the expense. She eventually paid it back with a 25% penalty—a gentle slap on the wrist that pales in comparison to the penalties ordinary Australians face for tax errors or welfare overpayments.

But wait, there’s more. George Christensen spent 294 days in the Philippines during a four-year period while claiming full parliamentary allowances and salary. That’s nearly 10 months of being paid as an MP while not being in the country he was elected to represent. His punishment? Nothing. Zero. Not even a requirement to repay the taxpayer money he collected while apparently treating his parliamentary role as a side hustle to his overseas lifestyle.

It never stops. Mathias Cormann “forgot” to pay for family holidays booked through a travel company that had won a $1 billion government contract. Peter Dutton personally intervened to save au pairs from deportation for affluent contacts while thousands of others languished in the immigration system. Richard Colbeck attended the cricket while skipping COVID-19 committee hearings during the deadliest outbreak in aged care facilities.

And on and on and on and on.

Scott Morrison secretly appointed himself to five ministries without telling the public or even his own Cabinet colleagues. Hell, that one has it’s own fucking Wikipedia page.

Alan Tudge approved the release of a welfare recipient’s personal information to punish them for speaking out.

Michael McCormack charged taxpayers to attend the Melbourne Cup. [Michaelia Cash’s office tipped off media about AFP raids on union offices](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/oct/25/michaelia-cash-says-her-office-did-not-tip-off-media-before-awu-raids.

Christian Porter accepted an anonymous donation for legal fees but refused to disclose the source, something that would be unthinkable for a public servant.

The above may seem like an already exhausting list but the reality is it is by no means exhaustive. If you want to see an absolutely horrendous account of the Coalition’s fraud and corruption check out this site. I warn you though, do so at your own risk. If you didn’t trust politicians already you certainly won’t once you’re done reading this absolutely disgusting list.

It’s not just the Coalition either. My point here is that this kind of behaviour is rife amongst the two major parties and who else knows.

The message is consistent and unmistakable: detailed scrutiny and harsh consequences are for ordinary people. For the political class? A forgiving system of second chances, minimal consequences, and the luxury of retroactive compliance.

Democracy’s Slow Murder

Let’s call this what it is: democracy being strangled in plain sight (HYPERBOLE!? you say? Please, let me finish).

Each time politicians treat obligations as optional while cracking the whip on everyone else, they’re not just being hypocrites—they’re poisoning the well of public trust.

Parliamentary declarations aren’t bureaucratic confetti—they’re the bedrock of transparency. Without them, we’re handing the keys to the kingdom to people whose financial loyalties remain in shadow. Dutton oversaw billions in Defence contracts while “forgetting” his declarations for nearly two decades. It’s like letting a referee bet on the game they’re officiating, then act surprised when people question the calls.

The double standard is acid on our social fabric. Welfare recipients crushed under Robodebt while politicians float above their own reporting requirements. Small businesses drowning in tax penalties while MPs claim excessive entitlements or using private vehicles for long and illustrious lunches. The message is crystal clear: there are two Australia’s—one that follows rules and one that makes them. You have to ask yourself, how do they think this is ok?

This isn’t accidental. A disillusioned citizenry is a dormant one. When we believe the game is rigged, we fold our cards. This cynicism is the oxygen feeding corruption’s fire.

What’s at stake aren’t abstract principles but democracy’s load-bearing walls: accountability, transparency, and equality before law. When the Dutton dismisses scrutiny as a “smear campaign,” he’s not defending himself—he’s declaring that kings don’t answer to peasants. And the horrific thing is it’s straight out of the US playbook, an action we say Hegseth employ at his confirmation hearing. There is no accountability for these people and it should make your fucking blood boil.

Every goddamn second these vultures cling to power is another boot on democracy’s throat. If we don’t drag this rotting carcass of a system out into the daylight and torch it to the ground, we’re just complicit in our own fucking slavery. Wake up (start paying attention), fight back (vote for politicians who will actually represent you and your community), and make sure they never forget that the work for YOU and the country and society that YOU deserve!

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Banner image by Black Forest Labs

Model: Flux Ultra v1.1

Prompt: Create an abstract yet symbolic banner image in a contrasting, monochromatic, silhoutte style, depicting a stark divide between two classes. On one side, a shadowy, opulent ruling class of politicians, depicted as faceless figures in suits holding wads of cash, standing on a pedestal. On the other side, ordinary citizens shown as simplified, weary figures struggling under the weight of chains and bureaucratic paperwork. Use high-contrast black and white with a single bold color (e.g., red) to emphasize tension and inequality. Include subtle, ironic details like a broken scale of justice and a sign reading ‘Rules for thee, not for me.’ The composition should feel raw, rebellious, and thought-provoking, with a focus on minimalism and symbolism.