Teal MP Monique Ryan’s savage social media takedown of Peter Dutton resurfaces – just days after she slammed personal attacks and name-calling in politics

A Teal MP who posted a venomous meme calling Peter Dutton a “toxic potato head” has accused him of “personal attacks” and “name-calling”.

Monique Ryan, the independent MP for the Kooyong district in Melbourne’s inner city, posted a Facebook post in 2018 with a photo of mashed potato and the caption: “Peter Dutton shows his softer side.”

She also captioned the post: “Poisonous potato head.”

Mr Dutton was Immigration Minister at the time, but he was trying to polish his image to avoid losing then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership.

The post was one of a series of anti-liberal memes uploaded to Dr Ryan’s Facebook page, featuring politicians she disliked. However, the memes were removed when she was elected to parliament in 2022.

Mr Dutton and Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley have since pointed the finger at Dr Ryan and other Teal MPs, accusing them of ‘betraying’ their traditionally conservative voters by joining forces with Labor and the Greens.

Dr Ryan previously described herself as a “small-L liberal” and a political “clean-skinned” before it was revealed she had been a member of the Labor Party since 2010.

On Monday, Dr Ryan told the Today Show that the Coalition would not win back its Kooyong seat by engaging in “toxic negativity” and “name-calling”.

“It doesn’t bother me that Peter Dutton calls me names, that’s his habit,” she said.

‘Sussan Ley and Peter Dutton constantly making personal attacks, this toxic negativity, it just doesn’t work.’

She said her constituents were concerned about the cost of living, affordable housing and education, and accused the Coalition of failing to address these issues properly.

“If Peter Dutton can only play with sticks and stones, he is not going to win back seats like Kooyong,” she said.

Dr Ryan posted a clip of her interview across her social media platforms, with the caption: ‘Peter Dutton and Sussan Ley are good at calling people names.

‘Not so good at coming up with policies to address the cost of living crisis and improve housing affordability and availability.

‘Australia deserves better than their continued negativity.’

The meme Teal MP Monique Ryan shared about Peter Dutton in 2018 is pictured. She called him ‘Toxic Potatohead’

Some social users pointed out that Zali Steggall, the Teal member for Warringah in Sydney, previously called Mr Dutton “racist” during Question Time in August.

She responded to his call to ban Palestinian refugees from seeking asylum in Australia.

“Pot, meet kettle,” said one X user.

Former Liberal Finance Minister Josh Frydenberg held the seat of Kooyong until he lost to Dr Ryan in 2022.

There is abuse from all corners of politics in the run-up to the upcoming elections, which are scheduled to be held before May next year.

The Coalition will attempt to regain the seats it lost to the Teals.

Dr Ryan declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia.