[2] He is also a descendant of Captain Richard James Coley, who was Queensland's first Sergeant-at-Arms, who built Brisbane's first private dwelling and who gave evidence confirming the mass poisonings of Aboriginal Australians at Kilcoy in 1842.

In his maiden speech in February 2002 he stated that the "silent majority" and "forgotten people" were dissatisfied with "the boisterous minority and the politically correct" and "the dictatorship of the trade union movement".

"[58] Hanson-Young responded that "Peter Dutton can attack and insult me as much as he likes, but nothing will change the fact that my work has revealed systemic child abuse and the rape of young women on Nauru under his watch.

[62] It recommended "that the Senate consider censuring the Minister for Home Affairs (the Hon Peter Dutton MP) ... for failing to observe fairness in making official decisions as required by the Statement of Ministerial Standards.

"[63] On 11 September 2015, Dutton was overheard on an open microphone, before a community meeting on Syrian refugees, joking about rising sea levels in the Pacific Islands, saying: "Time doesn't mean anything when you're about to have water lapping at your door".

Dutton also criticised a New Zealand offer to provide $3 million for services for asylum seekers on Manus and Nauru as a "waste of money" that could be spent elsewhere, such as displaced people in Indonesia.

[85] After initially leaving the door open to changes, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop subsequently ruled out any special deals for white South African farmers, emphasising the non-discriminatory nature of Australia's humanitarian visa programme.

[93][94] The Skilled Independent subclass 189 visa was criticised by Australian Greens Senator Nick McKim as a stealth means of favouring "English-speaking, white and wealthy" migrants.

In February 2018, Dutton used his discretionary powers as Minister of Home Affairs to deport New Zealander Caleb Maraku on the grounds that he breached the "character test" provision of the Migration Act 1958.

"[96]In early July 2018, Dutton ordered the deportation of controversial New Zealand Baptist Pastor Logan Robertson, who had disrupted services at two mosques in Kuraby and Darra in Brisbane.

[105] In response, Dutton defended his government's policy of deporting non-citizen criminals and chastised New Zealand for not contributing enough to assist Australian naval patrols intercepting the "people smugglers.

In mid-July 2019, Dutton defended Australia's right to deport criminal non-citizens in response to concerns raised by the visiting New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, stating: We need to stand up for Australians.

Leader of the Australian Greens Richard Di Natale responded by saying that "Peter Dutton doesn't know what living in a democracy means" and claimed that he's "starting to sound more like a dictator than he is an elected politician.

[112] In March 2019, the Australian Federal Police Association had claimed that the AFP should be removed from the Department of Home Affairs to preserve its integrity and its ability to carry out investigations without government influence.

[121] On 23 August, Labor attempted to move a motion to refer Dutton's eligibility as an MP to the High Court, in a similar manner to referrals made during the recent parliamentary citizenship crisis.

[131] On 21 May 2021, Dutton directed the department and serving military personnel to stop pursuing a "woke agenda", and cease holding events to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia where staff wore rainbow clothing.

[135] On 16 June 2021, in the Federal Court, Justice Richard White ordered Dutton to attend mediation over a defamation suit he brought against refugee activist, Shane Bazzi over a tweet calling him a "rape apologist".

[153] However, following the defeat of the Voice proposal, Dutton stated that his party's prior commitment to symbolic constitutional recognition would be reviewed and that "it's clear the Australian public is probably over the referendum process for some time".

[155][156][157][158] In July 2024, Dutton's remarks relating to Fatima Payman were characterised by Laura Tingle as "an example of how to surgically hit every hot-button issue in one short grab for the cameras" (see § Muslim political candidates).

[185][186][187] On 26 September 2019, one day after the partial decriminalisation of personal cannabis use by the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) government, Dutton called the decision "unconscionable" and "dangerous" in a 2GB interview.

"[196][197] In October 2023, he expressed opposition to a proposed off-shore wind farm of New South Wales' Hunter Region, saying that the environmental impacts to "rare bird species" and the seabed were unknown.

[213] Foreign Minister Julie Bishop defended Dutton, saying that he was referring to the lack of "significant services" in Fraser's time, and specifically to people charged with terrorism offences, "He made it quite clear that he respects and appreciates the contribution that the Lebanese community make in Australia.

[224] In an ABC interview, Jason Wood, Liberal MP representing the Division of La Trobe, repudiated suggestions that the rhetoric was an attempt at attracting race-baced votes.

According to a 2019 study by Monash University, Dutton's remarks followed a "flurry of 'sensationalist' media pieces about 'African gangs' in Melbourne" and members of the African-Australian community felt "stigmatised and labelled because of their race and perceived association with criminality".

[233] BBC News reported that the message of 'white genocide', which had been promoted by the extremist Suidlanders, had resonated with Dutton, who claimed he was considering the provision of fast-track visas to white South African farmers.

[248] In March 2017, The Sydney Morning Herald reported Dutton had privately expressed the view that the legal recognition of same-sex marriage was inevitable, and that he contended that the Coalition taking the initiative was better than allowing Labor to oversee the process.

[251] The Herald then reported that "the forcefulness of Mr Dutton's attack on corporate chief executives last week—in which he told them to "stick to their knitting"—has aroused suspicion among some colleagues who believed he was committed to achieving a breakthrough on [same-sex marriage]".

[252] Writing in The Conversation, Michelle Grattan remarked, "those calling for more free speech are squealing increasingly loudly when others exercise their freedom in a way they don't like", comparing Dutton's public confrontation against his stance on Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.

[253] Former New South Wales Premier Kristina Keneally commented in The Guardian, "In Dutton's Australia [...] Free speech is great and should be expanded, unless it's an Australian corporate CEO speaking about same-sex marriage.

"[259] In August 2023, Dutton said that ballot counting rules in the upcoming 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum were "rigged", referring to the possibility for certain ticks — in addition to writing "yes" — to be sporadically treated as valid responses.