Dutton fires gun on the election

I read Dutton's speech-in-reply from last year before reading this year's. It's amazing how little has changed. Actually, I think last year's was actually a better speech.

But in terms of this election, the themes, and some of the lines, were the same, and that is good. To cut through you have to be consistent and repeat the same messages over and over again. It shows that Dutton has set his sights on the right targets, because his messages are still relevant.

He's talking about the things that matter to Australians, and he has an agenda that won't scare them, but which is different to Labor's, and will achieve results.

It could have been bolder, and it could have been better, but Dutton is no Trump, or John Hewson, he's a consensus politician, and he appears to be listening to electors.

He's more like John Howard than anyone else and Howard got elected time after time not because of his policies per se, but because people knew he would be consistent, and that the decisions he made would head in the right direction.

When I poll voters, the word that most attaches to Dutton, apart from "nuclear", is "strong". In a dangerous world it could just be what voters are looking for and his speech emphasised those qualities where he concluded by talking about his past as a businessman, but also as a cop.

I will be a strong leader and a steady hand. I will make the tough decisions – not shirk them. I will put the national interest first. I will lead with conviction – not walk both sides of the street. And I have real life experience to demonstrate it.