Dutton to recontest seat of Dickson

Peter Dutton will eat humble pie and recontest his Brisbane seat of Dickson - the
electorate he declared unwinnable and had been prepared to dump for a safer option.
It's an embarrassing about-turn for the Liberal frontbencher who had to reconsider
his options after he failed to win pre-selection in the Gold Coast seat of
McPherson.
Dickson became a less-attractive option after an Australian Electoral Commission
(AEC) redistribution made the seat nominally Labor.
Subsequent changes have swung it slightly back to the coalition but it still favours
Labor by a margin of about one per cent.
Mr Dutton told reporters hundreds of supporters had contacted him over the last
month about his decision.
"I have been very humbled and overwhelmed by the level of support in my electorate
and they're the people that I've listened to over the last couple of days," he said.
At 38, Mr Dutton is viewed as one of the young guns of the Liberal Party and has
been touted as a future leader.
"I believe that I've achieved a lot locally. I believe that I've something to offer
into the future," he said.
He accepted responsibility for the messy situation.
"In the end, I'm sorry about circumstances that have been created, I accept full
responsibility for that," Mr Dutton said.
He stressed that at the time many believed it was the right "political decision".
"But the execution - for whatever reason, that's in the past - was the issue," Mr
Dutton said.
There have been suggestions the Nationals, which is the senior party in Queensland's
awkward Liberal National Party (LNP) organisation, may have stymied his chances in
McPherson.
Now, he is keen to move forward.
"For many of my constituents, I've tested their loyalty and their support over the
last month and it's my job now, between this point and the next election, to win
back that support and faith," Mr Dutton said.
"That's what I intend to do."
While Mr Dutton's decision to contest McPherson meant that nominations were opened
for Dickson, LNP acting state president Gary Spence said the frontbencher would not
face a contest.
"When we close nominations at five o'clock today there will only be one candidate
and that will be Peter Dutton," he told AAP.
The clumsy handling of the matter has given Labor plenty of ammunition to use when
the next election comes around.
Already, the Rudd government had its guns on Mr Dutton during question time.
Government frontbencher Chris Bowen dubbed Mr Dutton the "member for to be announced".
"The member for Dickson couldn't even organise a successful surrender of his own
seat," Mr Bowen said.
Just moments after Mr Dutton fronted the media, Transport Minister Anthony Albanese
jumped before the cameras to get his two cents in.
"I'm sure that the voters of Dickson will show the same loyalties to Peter Dutton
that he has shown to them," Mr Albanese said.
"Peter Dutton has shown that he is not interested in doing that and he's only going
back to Dickson as a last resort because he has no other option."
Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull welcomed Mr Dutton's decision.
"I am delighted Peter has decided to recontest his seat of Dickson," he said.
"The redistribution will make it harder for him at the next election, but I am very
confident in his ability to retain the seat and continue to make a valuable
contribution to the coalition frontbench."