Labor slammed over ‘grubby’ social media post about Peter Dutton’s wife

The Labor Party has come under fire after posting a meme online referencing Peter Dutton’s wife.

In a post shared by Victorian Labor on Monday, the opposition leader and his wife Kirilly were featured on the front page of a 2019 newspaper with the headline ‘He’s not a monster’.

The cheeky post was captioned: ‘Justifying dating your new partner with your friends who don’t like him.’

‘We all know that one couple’.

The post remained online for hours and provoked a flood of angry responses before Prime Minister Anthony Albanese demanded it be removed on Monday evening.

“The Prime Minister demanded it be removed. Families should be off limits,” a spokesperson told Nine Newspapers.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Dutton and Victorian Labor Prime Minister Jacinta Allan for comment.

But Victorian Secretary of State Steve Staikos insisted the post was “not a personal attack at all”.

Anthony Albanese ordered Victorian Labor to remove the meme hours after it was posted

“It’s got to be a comedy meme,” he said NewsCorp.

Albanese intervened after his rival referred to the prime minister’s fiancée in response to the post.

“I can assure you that the Liberal Party I lead will not target Jodie Haydon,” Dutton wrote on X.

“I respect and like Jodie, but she is not an elected official and will not be the subject of humiliation, attack ads or public vilification by the Liberal Party.

“I would ask the Prime Minister to respect my wife equally.”

The meme sparked outrage from leading Liberal politicians, who accused Victorian Labor of diverting attention from political issues.

“Labor has destroyed the Victorian economy and made life difficult for ordinary Victorians, so it is clear they cannot maintain their reputation,” Housing Minister Michael Sukkar said. Sky News.

“All they can do is desperately try to divert attention from their criminal incompetence by vilifying their political opponents and anyone who stands in their way.”

Home Secretary James Paterson added: “We all know Labour’s plan for next year’s election is negative personal attacks on Peter Dutton, this is just a taster.”

Victoria Labor took the image from a rare newspaper interview with Mr Dutton’s wife, initially titled ‘My Pete’s no Monster’.

Kirilly Dutton had said in a 2019 interview that her family received threats and ‘perverted material’

In the 2019 interview, Kirilly Dutton, who usually prefers to stay out of the public spotlight, revealed that her family had been the subject of death threats and abuse.

She said ‘demented and perverse’ material was sent to their home, alleging her family had received death threats and abuse.

‘He’s a really good man. He is a very good father and not a monster,” Mrs Dutton told The Sunday Mail at the time.

It is not the first time Labor has come under fire for mocking Dutton.

In 2022, Federal Minister Tanya Plibersek was forced to apologize to the opposition leader for comparing him to a villain from children’s books.

Ms Plibersek said in a radio interview that he “looked a bit like Voldemort”.

She later admitted that her comments were a mistake.

The meme comes as the latest Newspoll data left the party on par with the coalition in the state on a two-party preference basis.

It marked a five per cent swing to Victorian Labor since the 2022 election, with many Victorians concerned about the government’s growing debt burden.

At the federal level, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s satisfaction level has also fallen.

His approval rating across the country has fallen from 46 percent in the April to June quarter to a current low of 41 percent.

His approval rating in Victoria has fallen to minus 12, the same as Mr Dutton’s.