Peter Dutton left his electorate in Brisbane, as the city braced for Tropical Cyclone Alfred, to attend a fundraiser at the mansion of hospitality billionaire Justin Hemmes.
The Opposition Leader rubbed shoulders with a ‘small gathering’ of high-profile guests at the Vaucluse mansion overlooking Sydney Harbour on Tuesday night, according to the Australian Financial Review.
Mr Dutton, who is the MP for Dickson in Brisbane’s northern suburbs which is directly in Alfred’s firing line, had seemingly flown into Sydney especially for the event.
On Tuesday, he was in the northern Brisbane suburb of Kedron where he urged people to start preparing ‘now’ because the cyclone was a ‘very serious event’.
‘We need to make sure that we listen to the advice, that people prepare, and now is the time to listen to the authorities… about actions that you need to take in terms of preparation in your own yard, around your own business premises, in relation to supplies that you need to provide for you and your family,’ Mr Dutton told locals.
After receiving a Queensland police briefing on the cyclone alongside the state’s premier David Crisafulli, he flew to Sydney later that day for the fundraiser.
Employment Minister Murray Watt said Mr Dutton ‘owes Queenslanders an explanation’.
‘It’s surprising that when Peter Dutton’s own community was filling sandbags, he was filling Liberal Party money bags at a Sydney harbourside mansion,’ he said.
Peter Dutton (pictured) briefly left his Brisbane electorate as people braced for Tropical Cyclone Alfred to attend a fundraiser at hospitality billionaire Justin Hemmes’ mansion
Hospitality mogul Mr Hemmes (pictured with his partner Madeline Holtznagel) is boss of the Merivale Group which owns around 100 pubs, hotels and restaurants across Australia
Pictured is The Hermitage, the sprawling mansion owned by pub baron Justin Hemmes
Hospitality mogul and Rich Lister Mr Hemmes, 52, is boss of the Merivale Group which owns around 100 pubs, hotels and restaurants across Australia.
His venues will be in line to benefit from one of the Coalition’s key election promises: to introduce tax-free staff lunches for businesses.
On Wednesday morning, Mr Dutton was a guest on Brisbane’s 4BC Breakfast and was asked whether Anthony Albanese would call an election for April 12 on Sunday, as was widely expected.
Mr Dutton said he would be ‘surprised’ if the Prime Minister called the election at that time given millions of people across southeast Queensland and northeast NSW will be dealing with ‘significant flooding’ and other effects of the cyclone.
‘There will be people waiting for waters to reside, there will be swift water rescues, there will be people cleaning out their houses or their businesses, and some people will have lost everything,’ Mr Dutton added.
‘That’s the reality of these weather events, and to go to election at that stage, at that time, I think the Prime Minister would have a tin ear to do that.’
Mr Dutton admitted he was yet to batten down the hatches at his sprawling 68-hectare family farm in Dayboro, which is about 20km inland from Brisbane’s northern suburbs.
‘I haven’t taped up the windows, I haven’t been that organised, but it’s something we should consider, actually,’ he said.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred is on track to make landfall late Friday or possibly Saturday, bringing winds upwards of 120km/h, up to 700mm of rain and flooding
About 300,000 sandbags have been sent to Queensland’s south-east, according to the SES
Daily Mail Australia has approached Mr Dutton’s office for comment.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred is on track to make landfall late Friday or possibly Saturday, bringing winds upwards of 120km/h, up to 700mm of rain and flooding.
It could be the most devastating storm to hit south-east Queensland and northern NSW in over 50 years.
A warning zone stretching 650km remains in place from Double Island Point in Queensland to northern NSW. The zone includes Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Byron Bay and Ballina.
The cyclone slowed down overnight, meaning it will likely gain strength.
‘It is still anticipated this will reach landfall, it will just do it later,’ Mr Albanese told reporters on Thursday morning.
‘And a risk of course is that slowing up, it increases in intensity.
‘We expect three separate hazards, storm surges and high tides along coastal communities and severe wins as Alfred approaches the coast.
‘Then rainfall, and potential flash and riverine flooding right into the weekend.’