Let me tell you a story about power. Not the kind you see in parliaments or press conferences, but the kind that works quietly behind the headlines, shaping what we think and how we vote. It’s a story about a media empire, an opposition leader, and a Prime Minister fighting an invisible battle. As TGA News Opinion contributor Kostas Karamarkos put it in a post on his Facebook page: “Wishful thinking! The #RupertMurdoch #media empire has already declared #PeterDutton as our next #PM!” He pointed to the Telegraph’s fawning profile of Dutton, painting him as a humble farmhouse-dwelling family man, while Dutton himself dismisses critical journalists as “activists for left-wing publications”.
It’s a script we’ve seen before, and it’s one Australians should question before it’s too late.
Imagine this: Rupert Murdoch’s newspapers—The Australian, Herald Sun, Daily Telegraph—aren’t just reporting the news. They’re writing it. Last December, Anthony Albanese sat his cabinet down and warned them: News Corp isn’t just criticising Labor—it’s openly campaigning to make Peter Dutton Prime Minister (Sakkal, 2024). How? By airbrushing Dutton’s flaws. When he backflipped on slashing migration numbers—a policy Murdoch’s papers had cheered—they stayed silent. If Labor had done the same? Front-page outrage. One minister sighed: “Imagine the headlines if we’d been that sloppy” (Bongiorno, 2024).
Meanwhile, Albanese gets pilloried for playing tennis after a synagogue firebombing. Never mind that he’d spent the day securing $32 million for Jewish community safety. The headline? “Cavalier PM” (Bongiorno, 2024).
Enter the YouGov poll. Splashed across News Corp last week, it declared Dutton “most likely” to win. But dig deeper: the Coalition’s lead is razor-thin (51.1% vs 48.9%), and the poll’s margin of error could swing 15 seats either way (ABC News, 2025). Yet Murdoch’s papers frame it as destiny. It’s a trick as old as politics: repeat something enough, and it becomes truth. Dutton leans into it, claiming Labor can’t win a majority. “It’s $15 on Sportsbet,” he smirks (ABC News, 2025). But here’s the kicker: even if the Coalition wins 73 seats, they’d need crossbenchers to govern—the same independents Dutton dismisses as “Greens puppets” (ABC News, 2025).
Dutton’s playbook? Distract, divide, delay. While Labor expands childcare subsidies and social housing (Bongiorno, 2024), News Corp obsesses over “woke” Welcome to Country ceremonies (Fielding, 2023). Dutton links synagogue attacks to Australia’s UN vote on Palestine, stoking fear. Even Benjamin Netanyahu chimed in, blaming Albanese (Bongiorno, 2024). His policies? A mirage. Nuclear power? No costings. Migration targets? “We’ll decide in government” (Kelly, 2025).
Sound familiar? It’s Trump 101: sell simple slogans, avoid details, and let media allies drown out scrutiny.
Here’s what’s missing from the headlines: Labor’s abolishing childcare activity tests, offering three subsidised days to families earning up to 530k.Cost:3.1 billion (Bongiorno, 2024). Albanese appointed a special envoy to combat anti-Semitism before the synagogue attack (Bongiorno, 2024). Dutton calls energy bill relief “sugar hits” but offers no alternative beyond uncosted nuclear plants (9News, 2025).
Yet, as columnist Sean Kelly notes, Dutton’s “ridiculous but memorable” slogans cut through voter fatigue (Kelly, 2025).
This isn’t just about policies. It’s about democracy. When Murdoch’s outlets—controlling 59% of Australia’s print media—act as Dutton’s PR team, we lose (Fielding, 2022). Remember the Voice referendum? News Corp didn’t just back “No”—it became the “No” campaign (Fielding, 2023). Now, they’re doing it again.
Albanese isn’t perfect. His team leaked the Murdoch warning, hoping voters would notice the bias (Bongiorno, 2024). But will they? Or will we let a media monopoly decide our future?
Australians are tired. Inflation bites, rents soar, and trust in institutions frays. But tiredness can’t excuse apathy. When you read “Dutton’s Ahead!” ask: Who benefits from that story? When you hear “Weak Leadership!”, ask: Where’s the scrutiny of the alternative?
This election isn’t a Murdoch script. It’s OUR story. Demand details. Reject fear. And remember: the loudest voices aren’t always the truest.
More reading
- ABC News. (2025). Peter Dutton most likely to be next prime minister, according to YouGov poll. Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-16/peter-dutton-anthony-albanese-election-polling/104941326
- Bongiorno, P. (2024). Murdoch, Dutton and the campaign against Albanese. The Saturday Paper. Available at: https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/comment/topic/2024/12/14/murdoch-dutton-and-the-campaign-against-albanese
- Fielding, V. (2023). News Corp’s war on ‘Albo’s Voice’. Independent Australia. Available at: https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/news-corps-war-on-albos-voice,18036
- Fielding, V. (2022). Murdoch bias is boiling Australian democracy. Independent Australia. Available at: https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/murdoch-bias-is-boiling-australian-democracy,16315
- Kelly, S. (2025). Dutton’s policies deserve ridicule, but at least they’re memorable. The Sydney Morning Herald. Available at: https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/tired-voters-may-be-ready-for-a-leader-who-offers-clarity-about-their-future-20250209-p5lap5.html
- Sakkal, P. (2024). News Corp is working with Dutton to bring us down: Albanese. The Sydney Morning Herald. Available at: https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/news-corp-out-to-get-us-albanese-20241210-p5kx8u.html
- 9News. (2025). Federal Election 2025: Peter Dutton’s nuclear power plans, explained. Available at: https://www.9news.com.au/national/federal-election-2025-peter-dutton-coalition-nuclear-power-plans-explained/2aa01872-3156-4a5e-86fa-662bc90b0bf0
- Karamarkos, K. (2025). Facebook post, 15 February 2025. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=9270984346328960&id=100002524599392&rdid=mYH6aSg6xxs83cvE#
