Peter Dutton was elected as the Federal Member for Dickson in Queensland in November 2001 at the age of 30. He was re-elected with an increased majority in 2004, and appointed Minister for Workforce Participation with responsibility for the Job Network, Disability Employment Services, Work for the Dole and improving transition to work opportunities for all unemployed Australians. At the time of his appointment, Mr Dutton was one of the youngest minister since Federation.
In the August 2018 spill, Mr Dutton challenged Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for leadership of the Liberal Party but was defeated by 48 votes to 35. In the aftermath of the spill, Mr Dutton resigned from the Turnbull Ministry and rejected an invitation from Mr Turnbull to remain in the Cabinet. In the second leadership contest, Mr Dutton was defeated by Treasurer and Acting Home Affairs Minister Scott Morrison by 45 votes to 40. Following the appointment of Scott Morrison as the 30th Prime Minister on 24 August 2018, Mr Morrison re-appointed Mr Dutton to the Home Affairs Department but relinquished his duties and responsibilities for Immigration and Border Protection. He shifted from Home Affairs to be the Minister for Defence and Leader of the House in the March 2021 federal cabinet reshuffle until May 2022 when the Liberal Party was defeated at the federal election. A week later, Mr Dutton was elected leader of the Liberal Party following Mr Morrison's decision to step down from the leadership role.
Prior to being elected to Parliament, Mr Dutton owned businesses and employed over 40 staff. He started his working life at 12, delivering newspapers, mowing lawns and working after school as a butcher's boy, a job he continued until he started university. He purchased his first property at 18.
Mr Dutton went on to complete a Bachelors degree in Business and was a police officer for 9 years, working in the Sex Offenders Squad, Drug Squad, and the then National Crime Authority. He left the police force in 1999 to manage his business interests full time.
