Q: You’ve long had a security detail out of necessity. Does it disappoint you that, under current circumstances and some news that we’ve heard in the last 24 hours, that you might not get to meet as many members of the public as you would like?

Dutton:

No, I haven’t had that advice at all. We have the same security package as the Prime Minister does. And as the Governor-General does. And that’s been the case for some time. Obviously since I cancelled the visas of a lot of bikies and rapists and organised crime figures.

I wouldn’t change that. I mean, there’s been an impact on my family. They’ve been stoic and never complained about the security that’s been around me and my family. Federal Police at home and the AFP have been absolutely amazing. But that’s what started the need for security.

And I wouldn’t change any of that. Because I know the decisions I took actually stopped further women from becoming victims of rapists. And I know that the murderers that I deported from our country are no longer a threat to Australian people. And I’ve always fought for what I believe in. I’m incredibly grateful to the AFP that my family are kept safe. I’ve never felt unsafe one day in this job, particularly with the protection from the AFP. It hasn’t stopped me from doing anything, and it won’t on this campaign.

I take the advice of the Federal Police but, ultimately, I think this job is about a test of character – do you have the strength of character regardless of what’s thrown at you to deal with the issues and to act in our country’s best interests? I think I’ve demonstrated that as a police officer, and I can tell you there’s no job that I’ve had in my time in parliament – not as Defence Minister or Home Affairs Minister or Immigration Minister or Health Minister or Assistant Treasurer or now, as Leader of the Opposition, which has been harder than the days that I’ve seen as a police officer where people have gone through losing a child, a life event where they could never recover from it and they’re impacted for the rest of their life.

And so for me, I’m incredibly fortunate to be in this job, because I’m passionate about our country. I want to do everything I can to make our country better for every Australian, and that’s what this election is about.