A teenager has been charged after Australian opposition leader Peter Dutton's office was vandalised for the third time during the election campaign. The Liberal Party leader's office in Arana Hills, Brisbane was splattered in red paint and covered with posters criticising his stance on various issues.
Police reported that four individuals were seen acting suspiciously at the site in the early hours of the morning and fled when officers arrived. However, an 18-year-old woman was tracked down by the dog squad and charged with causing wilful damage.
Australians are scheduled to vote in an election on Saturday, May 3, 2025, and Dutton has sparked controversy recently for his comments regarding Aboriginal "welcome to country" ceremonies. He described these ceremonies as "overdone," which has drawn criticism from some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, including former colleagues from his party.
One of the posters plastered on Dutton's office stated, "always was, always will be Aboriginal land." Other posters condemned his remarks about finding "common ground" with Donald Trump, his stance on the Israel-Gaza war, and his connections to mining billionaire Gina Rinehart.
The same office had been vandalised earlier in April 2025, with the words "maggot" and "scum" written in black paint, and again a few days later, when a window was smashed and white paint splashed across the entrance. Dutton has yet to publicly comment on the vandalism, but members of his party have expressed concern about the increasing frequency of attacks on political offices.
James Paterson, a member of Dutton's party, stated in an interview with Sky News Australia last week that these incidents of vandalism are "out of control." He lamented that this trend is not only targeting Dutton's office but also affecting other members of parliament across the country.
As the election date approaches, the political landscape remains tense. According to the latest Guardian Essential poll, Anthony Albanese holds an election-winning lead with just days left in the campaign, as Labor leads the Coalition 52% to 48% on a two-party basis.
Albanese's approval rating has seen a slight uptick since the last poll two weeks ago, while Dutton's approval has declined for the fourth consecutive poll. The Essential poll indicates that 23% of respondents reported being more likely to vote for Labor, while 19% leaned towards the Coalition.
In the final Essential poll before Saturday's election, 32% of voters indicated they would give Labor their first preference, compared to 34% for the Coalition and 13% for the Greens. The poll, which surveyed 2,163 voters, also found that One Nation attracted 10% of first-preference support, while the Trumpet of Patriots garnered 2%, and other independents received 9%.
This data suggests that Labor would achieve a total of 52.1% on a two-party basis, while the Coalition would secure 47.9%. On Essential's separate "two-party-plus" measure, Labor stands at 49.6% and the Coalition at 45.6%, with 4.8% undecided.
Tuesday's poll results showed a slight improvement for the Coalition compared to the previous poll in mid-April, where Labor led 50% to 45%. The Essential poll aligns with other published polls, although the Coalition has claimed that their internal research presents a more favorable outlook for Dutton.
The Essential poll reveals that Labor leads the Coalition among both men (51% to 49%) and women (54% to 46%) on a two-party basis. Furthermore, Labor is ahead among younger voters aged 18-34 (58% to 42%) and those aged 35-54 (57% to 43%). In contrast, the Coalition holds an advantage among voters over 55 years of age (56% to 44%).
Despite the favorable polling for Labor, Albanese himself maintains a slight negative approval rating, with 44% approving of his performance versus 47% disapproving, resulting in a net approval of minus 3%. Dutton's approval ratings have further deteriorated to a net of minus 12%, with 39% approving and 51% disapproving. This marks a significant decline from December 2024, when Dutton had a plus 3% rating (44% approve, 41% disapprove).
When asked about the impact of the election campaign on their voting intentions, 66% of respondents indicated they were considering which party would better their circumstances in three years, while 34% reflected on whether they were better off compared to three years ago. This marks a slight decrease from December's poll, where the figures stood at 68% and 32%, respectively.
The upcoming election is pivotal, as it poses the question of whether Australians will vote based on their sentiments regarding the past three years of Labor governance or their expectations for the future. With high inflation, rising prices, and concerns over social cohesion looming large, Dutton's campaign has frequently asked voters, "Are you better off today than three years ago?" Meanwhile, Albanese and Labor have asserted that Australia is "turning the corner" and that brighter days are ahead.
As the election nears, the atmosphere is charged with anticipation, and the outcome remains uncertain. With vandalism targeting political offices and fluctuating approval ratings, it is clear that this election campaign is unlike any other, and the stakes are high for both parties.
