By Lucinda Garbutt-Young in Canberra

Labor will appoint former Liberal leader Peter Dutton to the board of one of the country’s top institutions after he quit politics following his election defeat.

Mr Dutton lost his federal seat of Dickson, which he held for 24 years, to Labor’s Ali France in the 2025 election.

The election drubbing was one of the worst his party had experienced after a red wave from the Albanese government.

Veteran Affairs Minister Matt Keogh will recommend Mr Dutton for a seat on the Australian War Memorial Council for a three-year period beginning November 14.

He will replace Glenn Keys, who has helped steer the War Memorial through a turbulent six years of infrastructure development and its relationship with disgraced veteran Ben Roberts-Smith, who has been charged with war crimes.

“In his post-parliamentary life, he (Mr Dutton), remains passionate about strengthening Australia’s values, institutions and national interests,” Mr Keogh said.

Mr Dutton was Defence Minister under Scott Morrison and in 2021, he overruled a recommendation by then-chief of the defence force, General Angus Campbell, to strip the meritorious unit citation from about 3000 special forces soldiers who served in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2013.

It came after the release of the Brereton report into war crimes in the country.

The War Memorial has opened expansions through a staggered process over the last year, with full completion, including new galleries and floor spaces, expected in 2028.

The Albanese government has made a habit of appointing previous Liberal powerbrokers to roles in areas it oversees.

It began with Matt Kean, a former NSW Treasurer who now chairs the Climate Change Authority.

More recently, former federal Opposition leader Sussan Ley was appointed to the Snowy Hydro board following her resignation from politics in February.

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