Peter Dutton promo video enlists wife, kids, refugees, Morcombe’s

Peter Dutton has called on his wife, children and members of the public to contribute to a seven-minute promotional video in which he speaks of his “empathy” and “gentle” nature.

The opposition leader set his sights on softening his image when he took over the leadership of the Liberal party after years in portfolios that required him to maintain a hard exterior.

His latest effort came on Saturday afternoon with a seven-minute YouTube video titled “the Peter Dutton we know.”

Mr Dutton’s wife, Kirilly, speaks of his “commitment to family”, love of the outdoors and “very basic, domestic things” in the clip, which sits between interviews with Daniel Morcombe’s parents, a Syrian refugee family and the father of a soldier who tragically died by suicide.

The video includes clips of the former cop with his arm around his daughter, looking over Ms Dutton and their sons as he smiles against the backdrop of his family farm north of Brisbane.

Collectively they describe Mr Dutton as ‘a big gentle giant’ and ‘a politician we can trust’ who has shown tremendous empathy in all their dealings with him.

Ms Dutton says she wants the public to see her husband’s softer side, singling out his “immense empathy, immense kindness” and “passion for building better lives for all Australians”.

She has also provided an insight into family life at home when Mr Dutton is not in Canberra or away for work.

“Life is very normal,” she said. “He likes going to the kids’ sports games, he loves having friends over, family over.

‘We love being out on the farm with the kids around us. Very basic, domestic things.’

The opposition leader’s approval rating currently stands at around 22 percent – significantly behind Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has 53 percent, according to a recent Resolve poll.

The video has been viewed 229 times and has 22 likes.

Comments are disabled on Mr. Dutton’s YouTube channel. The promotional film also played during the federal council of the Liberal Party on Saturday.

Mr Dutton himself was also featured in the video discussing his hopes for the future.

He pitched his political aspirations, describing his “genuine love for the country” and his desire to “make decisions that can help families and improve the future of our country.”

He also used the clip to remind voters that he is a family man who addresses issues that families face on a daily basis.

“I feel very fortunate to have three beautiful children and to be married to a beautiful woman who has been successful in her own small business,” he said.

“Like most households now where both parents have to work, you have to try and find that balance and make sure you support each other.”

The video features clips of him eating dinner with his family while their dog is under the table, walking through his farm – again with his children – and meeting locals in the community.

A spokesman for Mr Dutton told Daily Mail Australia the video “provides a rare insight into Peter Dutton of people he has quietly supported (during his time as Defense and Home Secretary): including parents who lost their children in tragic circumstances , and a family that escaped the war in Syria.

It also shows Peter at home with his family and the perspectives of his wonderful wife Kirilly. These people talked about the Peter Dutton they know – and that’s the Peter Dutton featured in this video.”

Bruce and Denise Morcombe, whose 13-year-old son Daniel was tragically snatched and killed while on his way to buy Christmas presents on the Sunshine Coast in 2003, said they have come to know Mr Dutton over the years as an intensely private person. who is ‘driven to make a difference’.

Denise said, “He’s a big gentle giant.”

Next in the clip is John Halloran, whose son Tom tragically died by suicide in 21. Mr. Dutton called to ask if he and Kirilly could attend Tom’s funeral.

Mr Halloran said, ‘It was very fitting that Peter was there. We didn’t know what to expect… Peter is a politician. But he started talking about Tom, how he has a son who is also Tom.

“We slowly learned that he was very concerned about young people in the armed forces. He was the real deal.’

Mr Halloran said Mr Dutton proved to him that he realized how painful their loss was, at a time when ‘a bowling ball had just passed through our lives’.

He believes Mr Dutton has a quality that is “lacking in politics these days,” and the ability to sit, listen and learn from those around him.

The final contributor to the feature-length video was Yara Alhaj, a mother who arrived in Australia from Syria in 2017 with her family – and help from Mr Dutton.

Ms Alhaj said she and her family are now living the ‘Australian dream’ with the help of the opposition leader, who visited them at their home for lunch.

‘He was very honest. Sometimes we don’t like all the answers, but that’s the truth and that’s the reality. I thanked him for bringing us here and I said it’s a dream for us to fly here.

“He was very emotional, which surprised me. He had tears in his eyes. When I saw him on TV, I thought, “Oh, this is a very serious man,” she said.

But the man who greeted her and her family, who went to great lengths to make sure they had enough to take care of their children, and asked if they were concerned, was not the same man she had seen on television, said Mrs. Alhaj.

“I finally met a politician I can trust – a real human being.

‘He’s not pretending anything. The Peter Dutton I know cares about people and takes his job very seriously. For my children, I know I did the right thing. They have a bright future here.’

Ms Alhaj said her husband had emailed the Australian Embassy in Jordan about moving to Australia after losing many friends to the horrors of the war. She said they received a call 30 minutes later and arrived in Australia on August 23, 2017.

“Our new date of birth,” she said.

‘I wanted to meet the people behind this programme, I wanted to thank them. I found out that the main one was Peter. He opened the door.’

Mr Dutton has worked to soften his hard man image since taking over the leadership of his party.

He said earlier while the public had grown accustomed to seeing him in “difficult portfolios” like defense and home affairs, he hoped to show them another side.

“I hope now that as I move away from such difficult portfolios, the Australian public can see the rest of my character, the side that my family, friends and colleagues see,” he said.

“The side my community sees where they elected me eight times. I’m from the suburbs and I’ve never changed my values ​​or forgotten where I’m from.”