BAD COP: Peter Dutton’s Strongman Politics
by lechblaine
Who is Peter Dutton, and what happened to the Liberal Party? In Bad Cop, Lech Blaine traces the making of a hardman – from Queensland detective to leader of the Opposition, from property investor to minister for Home Affairs. This is a story of ambition, race and power, and a politician with a plan.
Dutton became Liberal leader with a strategy to win outer-suburban and regional seats from Labor. Since then we have seen his demolition of the Voice and a rolling campaign of culture wars. What does Peter Dutton know about the Australian electorate? Has he updated Menzies’ Forgotten People pitch for the age of anxiety, or will he collapse the Liberals’ broad church? This revelatory portrait is sardonic, perceptive and altogether compelling.
“Dutton doesn’t need to become prime minister to redraw the battle lines of Australian politics. His fight with Albanese over parochial voters was always going to drag the political conversation rightwards: on race, immigration, gender and the pace of a transition away from fossil fuels … Dutton’s raison d’être? Make Australia Afraid Again. Then he will offer himself as the lesser of two evils. A serious strongman for the age of anxiety.”—Lech Blaine, Bad Cop.
Events
Readings Bookshop – Lech Blaine in Conversation with Chloe Hooper
Date: Monday, 18 March 2024, 6:30pm (AEDT)
Venue: Church of All Nations – 180 Palmerston St, Carlton, VIC 3053
Avid Reader – Lech Blaine in conversation with John Birmingham
Date: Wednesday, 27 March 2024, 6pm for a 6:30pm start (AEST)
Venue: The Loft: 100 Boundary St, West End, QLD 4101
The Australian Institute online – Lech Blaine in conversation with Ebony Bennett
Date: Friday, 12 April 2024, 11 am
Gleebooks – Lech Blaine in conversation with David Marr
Date: Wednesday, 17 April 2024, 6pm for a 6:30 pm start
Venue: Gleebooks — 49 Glebe Point Road, Glebe, NSW 2037
ANU Meet the Author – Lech Blaine in conversation with Mark Kenny
Date: Thursday, 18 April 2024, 6pm
Venue: ANU Building 153 – Cultural Centre Kambri, Tangney Road, Acton
Sorrento Writers Festival – Digging Deep
Panel with Jan Cochrane-Harry, Robyn Davidson and Grace Tame about writing memoir
Date: Friday, April 26, 9am
Venue: Sorrento Community Centre, 860 – 868 Melbourne Rd, Sorrento
Sorrento Writers Festival – The Good, the Bad and the Underwhelming
Panel with Niki Savva and Troy Bramston about political leadership
Date: Saturday, April 27, 12pm
Venue: Sorrento Community Centre, 860 – 868 Melbourne Rd, Sorrento
Sorrento Writers Festival – Toward the 2025 election
Panel with Erik Jensen, Niki Savva and Amy Remeikis
Date: Sunday, April 28, 10:30am
Venue: Halcyon Hall, The Continental, 1/21 Ocean Beach Rd, Sorrento
Sydney Writers Festival – Curiosity Lecture
Date: Thursday, 23 May 2024, 2:15pm
Venue: Carriageworks, Bay 24, 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh, NSW 2015
Sydney Writers Festival – The Secret Lives of Politicians
Panel with Niki Savva and Margot Saville
Date: Saturday, 25 May 2024, 3pm
Venue: Ashfield Town Hall
Lech Blaine 