<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/peter-dutton" rel="" target="" title="Opposition Leader Peter Dutton"><span>Opposition Leader Peter Dutton</span></a><span> has defended his decision to leave </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/brisbane" rel="" target="" title="Brisbane"><span>Brisbane</span></a><span> while South-East Queensland was preparing for </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/tropical-cyclone-alfred" rel="" target="" title="Topical Cyclone Alfred"><span>Topical Cyclone Alfred</span></a><span> to attend a billionaire's fundraiser in Sydney, saying it was "not a party".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Dutton, whose local electorate of Dickson is in Brisbane's north-west, attended a briefing on the cyclone last Tuesday, and phoned in for an interview from Queensland on Wednesday morning with radio station 4BC.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>However, </span><em><span>The Australian Financial Review</span></em><span> reported on Wednesday night that, in between the two, Dutton had left his electorate to attend a fundraiser at the Sydney waterfront mansion owned by billionaire hospitality magnate Justin Hemmes on Tuesday night.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>EXPLAINED:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/federal-election-2025-when-is-it-earliest-latest-dates-double-dissolution-explained/a8dec667-4d33-46d6-b85a-ae4ea2b88b4b" rel="" target="" title="Only three possible election dates left after cyclone wreaks havoc"><strong><span>Only three possible election dates left after cyclone wreaks havoc</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>At the same time, the opposition leader has criticised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over suggestions he could call the federal election on Sunday during the recovery effort.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I think people probably want from their prime minister governing not campaigning at a time like this," Dutton said on Wednesday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This morning, the opposition leader defended his decision to leave Brisbane for Sydney last week.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/peter-dutton-defends-decision-leave-brisbane-tropical-cyclone-alfred-justin-hemmes-fundraiser/135c86ae-68d1-4c96-8cc0-989b487eee8a" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I stuck to my diary, which was going to Sydney that morning," he told 4BC today.</span></div></div><div class="styles__Wrapper-sc-2o34ro-0 cmwkBV"><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><a href="/content/2025/03/04/14/44/tropical-cyclone-alfred-update-photos"><img alt="" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 636px, (min-width: 768px) 396px, 100vw" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/MEYiC3K6BJWCsheuNZzFHZChsp0=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fbf88ea6f-5b20-427c-bcb2-e074db90df75" srcset="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/MEYiC3K6BJWCsheuNZzFHZChsp0=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fbf88ea6f-5b20-427c-bcb2-e074db90df75 396w, https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/sLOUJ0WTS_etzphxDR70-3l5Go8=/636x358/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fbf88ea6f-5b20-427c-bcb2-e074db90df75 636w"/></a></div><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><div class="styles__Headline-sc-2o34ro-4 hpbOlz">Clean up begins as flooding continues after Cyclone Alfred</div><div class="styles__Button-sc-2o34ro-1 eBjlmW"><a class="styles__ButtonLink-sc-2o34ro-2 hqpklJ" href="/content/2025/03/04/14/44/tropical-cyclone-alfred-update-photos">View Gallery</a></div></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I had meetings down there, a lunch with one of the Archbishops in Sydney, I had meetings in the afternoon, I had a fundraising event – not a party – a fundraising event that night and I caught the first flight home on Wednesday."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He accused the government of leveraging the event to criticise him.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I'm very happy to put it all into context because I think, to be honest, Jim Chalmers and Murray Watt and Anthony Albanese look for political opportunity, which I think is actually pretty poor form in the time of the natural disaster to try and use that for political leverage to push out some sort of negative campaign," Dutton said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"But that reflects more on them than it does me, I think."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/tropical-cyclone-alfred-disaster-relief-payments-how-to-claim-everything-to-know-explainer/b2925c86-0647-47f6-832d-2525432af180"><strong><span>How to access cyclone recovery payment</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While Labor senator Murray Watt has criticised Dutton for attending the fundraiser, both Albanese and Chalmers said it was a matter for the opposition leader to explain.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Albanese on Friday declined to attack Dutton over the matter, saying he "can comment on his own responsibilities, I am fulfilling mine".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A day earlier, Chalmers – whose electorate of Rankin is in Brisbane's south – said the opposition leader leaving for Sydney "would be disappointing if it's true" when asked about the incident.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I'm not sure if it is, but that would be very disappointing. That's for Peter Dutton to explain," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><strong><span>Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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