Dutton fires up faithful in call to unite for election

In a wide-ranging speech in Melbourne on Saturday, Mr Dutton said the coalition could win the next federal and Victorian polls if they presented a united team.

"We have a real chance to send one of the weakest and most damaging governments in Australian history back to opposition benches," he told the crowd at the Victorian Liberal state council.

"Australians are resilient people but I believe Australians know in our hearts and minds that they just can't afford three more years of this."

Watched on by state Liberal leader John Pesutto, Mr Dutton said Australians were not being offered a vision for the future from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese beyond platitudes.

"Vision has fallen victim to many things," he said.

"To political short-termism, to small-target strategies, to the elevation of sectional interests above national interests, to pandering to identity politics which has undermined national unity."

The federal opposition leader said Australia should be a country that "preserves the innocence" of young children and "reinstates critical thinking and eradicates indoctrination from our classrooms".

"I want Australia to be a nation of united people," he said.

"A country where we push back against those determined to define and to divide us by class, by sex, by race, by religion and more besides."

In addition, Mr Dutton alluded to his contentious nuclear plan to set up seven plants at coal-fired power stations, saying to cheers that Australia must be energy self-sufficient.

He spent several minutes of his speech attacking the Albanese government's handling of allegations of criminality within the CFMEU, accusing the prime minister of turning a blind eye.

Australians have known about the union's criminal links for "more than a decade" and it was costing taxpayers' billions of dollars, he said.

Former Liberal premier Jeff Kennett, who was bestowed life membership to the Victorian Liberal Party, called for Mr Dutton to consider establishing an "independent" royal commission into the CFMEU and its relationship, if any, with MPs.

"We've got to offer the community hope," Mr Kennett said.

"The hope must be that Peter and his team will put an end to this bloody corruption."

In what was viewed as a test of Mr Pesutto's leadership, former Victorian upper house MP Phillip Davis fended off a challenge from Graham Watt to be re-elected state party president.

Mr Watt, also a former Victorian MP who was backed by conservative forces within the party, lost the ballot 375 votes to 472.

Mr Davis has served in the key role since September, taking over from former senator Greg Mirabella.

One Victorian Liberal MP, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the resounding victory was a strong endorsement of the party's direction under Mr Pesutto, who is staring down a defamation battle with expelled MP Moira Deeming.

The pair are set to head to trial in mid-September over comments Mr Pesutto made after Mrs Deeming attended a 2023 rally gatecrashed by a group of masked men who performed the Nazi salute.

Following his re-election, Mr Davis appealed for party members to do away with factional politics and work together.

"If you have a disagreement, deal with it in-house," he said.

"Don't go to the outhouse."

His call appeared to fall on deaf ears, with a motion to change all references in the Victorian party's constitution from "chairman" or "chair" to "chairperson" sparking a fiery debate.

"You cannot be addressing one thing to satisfy ... 'wokedom' in the room," a male delegate said to applause.

A female Liberal member argued the change in language would encourage more women to join the party.

"This isn't woke, it's about respect," she said.

"Words do mean a lot."

The motion received majority support but was ultimately defeated as it didn't reach the two-thirds majority required for a constitutional rule change.

Australian Associated Press