The son of a former state premier who was convicted of drink-driving and causing a violent car crash that was a factor in the end of his father’s political career has come to the defense of Peter Dutton’s son.
An image of Tom Dutton, 18, holding a bag of white powder was circulated across the news last week.
Steve Bracks was Premier of Victoria in 2007 when his son Nick, then 20, totalled the family car after days of drinking.
“I feel sorry for him,” Nick said of Tom on The Project on Monday night.
‘I wouldn’t condone this behavior, but he’s an 18-year-old boy who, like many other kids, experiments with things.
“Growing up with the phrase ‘you’re this person’s son,’ you think, ‘What do I have to do so that people see me as Nick Bracks and not Steve Bracks’ son?’
“When you’re so young and people are saying all kinds of different things to you about something you’ve done in your own private life, it can be difficult to deal with.”
Last week, an image of Tom Dutton made public via social media appeared on the front pages of newspapers across the country.
A week ago, a photo surfaced on Snapchat showing Tom Dutton, 18, (pictured) carrying a bag of white powder
Nick Bracks (pictured) told The Project he feels sorry for the opposition leader’s son
‘Birthday treat. Hello, how are you?’, the quickly deleted image was captioned.
“I haven’t been in touch with Tom yet, but I would love to speak to him if he ever wants to,” Nick said on television.
In 2007, 20-year-old Nick was injured, shattering his dream of becoming a professional athlete.
By his own admission, his behavior spiraled and he relied on alcohol as a coping mechanism.
On a wet night in suburban Melbourne, after consecutive days of drinking, Nick spun around at 90 km/h in a 60 zone, smashing a tree and injuring his friend in the passenger seat. He was convicted of driving under the influence and fined $750.
As the son of the prime minister, the incident quickly made headlines, with reporters camping outside the family home.
Prime Minister Bracks already had plans to resign, but quit less than two weeks after the crash.
“Dad has always been wonderful,” Nick wrote in an opinion piece for Nine Newspapers this week.
Nick Bracks (pictured in 2007), who was caught drink-driving at the age of 20, has defended Peter Dutton’s son
‘But that pressure from other people really affected me. He became Prime Minister when I was 12, and that has haunted me throughout my teenage life.”
On Monday evening, Nick said on television that he felt sorry for Tom Dutton being scrutinized because he had a prominent father.
“So I felt sorry for the man and felt I had to talk about it.”
The political response to the incident involving Mr Dutton’s son was also cautious and understanding on both sides of Parliament.
“I have no comment at all. Peter Dutton is a public figure, but his son is not,” Labour frontman Tanya Plibersek said last week.
Mr Dutton’s office also batted away questions from the media, other than saying the matter was a private matter.