Tanya Plibersek apologises for likening Peter Dutton to Voldemort
Senior Labor MP Tanya Plibersek has apologised to Liberal MP Peter Dutton for likening him to Voldermort in a radio interview.
Speaking to Scott Emerson on the 4BC radio station, Ms Plibersek was asked her opinion of Mr Dutton, who is almost certain to become the next leader of the Liberal party.
"Well I think there will be a lot of children who have watched a lot of Harry Potter films who will be very frightened of what they will see at night, that's for sure," replied the Labor frontbencher.
"What, are you saying he looks strange, he looks odd?" Emerson asked.
"I am saying he looks a bit like Voldemort and we will see whether he can do what he promised he would do when he was last running for leader, which is smile more," she said.
Mr Emerson said it sounded like she was attacking Mr Dutton over his looks.
"No, I am just saying he is not the warm and friendly face of the Liberal party," she replied.
"And if this last election taught us anything, it taught us that the Liberal Party has moved too far to the extremes of politics."
Plibersek has since reached out to Dutton to apologise for her comments, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying her remarks were unacceptable.
"I do want to change the way that politics functions in this country," Albo said.
"People do have conflict fatigue."
Plibersek is not the only Labor politician to attack the expected next Liberal leader this week, with Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan blasting Dutton as not being fit to be prime minister.
"He's an extremist, and I don't think he fits with modern Australia at all," said Mr McGowan.
"He doesn't seem to listen, he's extremely conservative and I actually don't think he's that smart."
"I've seen him present on things [and] I don't really pick up there's much there."
"As opposed to Scott Morrison, who is a clever guy, I don't pick up that Peter Dutton is fit to be prime minister."
Image credits: Getty Images