Minister for Defence Peter Dutton (Image: AAP/Albert Perez)

Defence Minister Peter Dutton wants a khaki election to help the Coalition boost its chances at the polls, and he’s wasted no time reframing everything in war metaphors. 

It’s hardly a unique tactic — or an unexpected move by Dutton, who has long pushed for extra cash for his portfolio. But with an election looming, war rhetoric has ramped up, most recently from the Coalition partyroom. 

Here are the five steps the government is taking to frame a khaki election:

1. Pick an enemy 

Australia and China’s relationship has been in freefall, exacerbated by the pandemic and Australia’s push for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19.

But the government isn’t stopping there. Dutton says Australia would go to war with China over Taiwan, and accuses Labor’s Senate Leader Penny Wong of not taking a stand against China. In response, Wong has accused Dutton of “amping up the threat of war” in a “dangerous” pre-election tactic.

2. Frame the opposition as weak 

In the Coalition’s partyroom briefing yesterday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison launched a low-blow attack on Labor leader Anthony Albanese. 

“Do you remember him crying after [former prime minister Kevin Rudd] lost his job?” Morrison said, referring to Albanese daring to show emotion a decade ago. 

He’s used the strategy of toxic masculinity before, attacking Labor MP Jim Chalmers for “being sensitive” for crying at the same event (though this rhetoric is now being used as examples of Morrison’s sexism). 

In question time yesterday, Dutton continued arguing Labor was a pushover when it came to defence. 

“I can assure this weak leader of the opposition that you don’t deter an adversary and you don’t maintain peace in our region from a position of weakness,” he said to Albanese.

Previously he’s accused Labor of “crab-walking” away from the AUKUS  defence agreement and warning the Greens’ “peace and demilitarisation” policy would threaten Australia’s national security. 

3. Start petty fights

When Australia pushed for China to be grilled in the United Nation’s COVID inquiry, it made international headlines. But taking a step back, what it pushed for wasn’t as strong as the public was made to believe. 

In May, Australia supported a European Union draft motion calling for an “evaluation” of the outbreak by some of the WHO’s independent review committees. That was it. We paid a high price for it too, with China following with sanctions on Australian trade worth more than $20 billion a year.

In late 2020, China’s foreign ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian, posted a fake image of an Australian soldier holding a bloodied knife to the throat of an Afghan child in response to a damning report about alleged Australian war crimes in Afghanistan.

Lijian is neither a politician nor a diplomat, but the image immediately caused Morrison to call on national TV for an apology from Beijing. While the image was offensive, the fight was a glorified Twitter spat.  

4. Align yourself with the military

The 2021-22 budget included a 4.1% increase in Defence spending, totalling $44.6 billion. But it’s not enough. Dutton is pushing for $50 billion, a whopping 2.5% of Australia’s GDP, following the AUKUS agreement and investment in our bungled submarines. 

In comparison, the US spends about 3.5% of its GDP on defence, though China spends just 1.7% — although this equates to about $350 billion a year. 

Morrison has also been notably present at Defence bases, including a red-carpet reception in May at the RAAF base Williamtown (which was later revealed didn’t follow standard Defence protocol).

5. Evoke war metaphors at every chance

War metaphors in politics are nothing new, although Morrison’s call yesterday for his government to “unite” as rebel MPs withheld votes brought the rhetoric into new territory. 

“[Labor] are doing tactics that are appalling. They’re raising money. They’re getting ready to get rid of you,” he said in yesterday’s partyroom briefing. 

“The person to the left of you and the person to the right of you … these are the people you need to get to go into battle for you. You must look after your mate and get them across the line.”