Some thoughts as Australia returns to the polls - especially regarding Peter Dutton.

Australia's 2019 federal election has been called this week for 19 May. It will be the third of four FEs with a prime minister contesting their first election from that office (Scott Morrison follows Malcolm Turnbull and Julia Gillard), and that reinforces just how many leadership changes we've had this decade. Both the afore-mentioned federal elections, in 2016 and 2010 respectively, resulted in hung parliaments and I do not want a repeat of that, but frankly I think that will happen. But I digress. Since yesterday my point of preoccupation with this election has been just one man, who I'm ashamed to say is from my otherwise awesome state of Queensland: so-called "Liberal" Member for Dickson and Home Affairs Minister, Peter Dutton.

Yesterday, Dickhead - sorry Dutton - suggested in a Tweet that his Labor rival in Dickson, Ali France, who has an amputated leg, was using her disability as an excuse for not living in their electorate. (Ms. France has been inhabiting the neighbouring electorate and claims to have been looking for a more disability-friendly house in Dickson.) If anything that is just an explanation. Besides, the seat of Dickson is in Brisbane and Dutton resides in a mansion on the Gold Coast, which Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek has nailed him to the wall by emphasizing. I already hated Dutton because of his record on other social issues but as an Australian with a neurological disability, this abhorrent accusation truly made that hatred personal. Today he has added insult to injury with a laughably insincere apology on Twitter, and not even a video Tweet.

Ali France.

This is a man who boycotted the 2008 parliamentary apology to the Stolen Generations, has overseen countless human rights violations in offshore detention centres, voted against marriage equality, supports Australia retaining its English head of state and has now made this reprehensible claim. Whichever party wins on 18 May, I currently hope Dutton is the first MP to lose their seat - and that the door smacks him on the arse on the way out.