Dutton has pledged to open the housing market to young people if he wins the election, referring to the status quo under the Labor government as a “dark period” for Australia.

Speaking from a building site in Brisbane’s western suburbs, Dutton recalled stories from young people across the country unable to purchase their first home despite their best attempts at doing so.

“It kills me when you hear young Australians saying, ‘I’m working hard, we’re both working hard, we’re putting money aside. We just can’t afford, we don’t think we’re ever going to be able to afford a home’,” Dutton said.

“I’m not going to accept that as prime minister of this country. I want to make sure that we can do everything we can if we’re fortunate enough to win the election, to restore that dream of homeownership, and this is the way that we can do it.”

Dutton has spent the morning in the marginal, Greens-held seat of Ryan, a seat that the Coalition is targeting at the May 3 election.

He fronted the press with Trevor Evans, who held the seat of Brisbane until he was ousted by the Greens’ Stephen Bates in 2022.