I am pleased Peter Dutton told the CEOs of major Australian companies to stop voicing their support for marriage equality.

I don’t know about you, but I am fed up to the eyeballs with these pesky corporate CEOs. One day they’re using their companies’ resources to raise money for the Vinnies CEO Sleep Out. The next day they’re taking a stand against domestic violence. And if that’s not preachy enough, these bleeding heart CEOs even get out there trying to feed the hungry.

Frankly I’m surprised Peter Dutton hasn’t taken on these do-gooders before. Like the minister, I prefer my corporate leaders to “stick to their knitting”. (Who knew Dutton had such a poetic streak? Am I the only person who can’t stop imagining Alan Joyce with a giant ball of yarn and a pair of purple needles? Dutton needs to wax lyrical more often.)

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Maybe now that Dutton is getting closer to the top job he feels the confidence to start setting the stage for his coming prime ministership. No surprise, but he seems keen to reprise his current role: dear leader who shall not be questioned.

Dutton’s best days as a minister are right now. He’s doing a splendid job as immigration minister, and so he should be. He exercises absolute control over his portfolio. He holds almost complete discretion over what information is publicly available. He heads up an armed border force. His stakeholders – asylum seekers, refugees – have little capacity to raise objections to his decisions. Even the Labor opposition near apes his policies, meaning Dutton enjoys a non-contestable, un-contradicted existence.

It’s a far difference from Dutton’s performance in health. Those pesky CEOs campaigning for marriage equality must have reminded Dutton of doctors who didn’t like their rebate frozen or patients who objected to a GP co-payment or state governments complaining their hospital funding was cut.

The lesson Dutton seems to have learned from his recent ministerial roles is this: if I can’t make people happy with what I do, then I need to make sure no one can hear their unhappiness.

In that regard treasurer Scott Morrison must reminisce fondly on his days in the immigration portfolio. Remember on-water matters? How Morrison must wish he could flick away tough questions on debt, deficit, housing affordability, business tax cuts, and pension cuts with a throwaway line: “As a matter of policy, the government doesn’t discuss on-budget matters.”

I’m with Dutton, and Morrison. It’s so much easier to govern when you don’t need to deal with people’s objections to your decisions. No wonder the current immigration minister is the popular front runner for leader, and the previous immigration minister seems to be floundering as treasurer and little hope to become PM.

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As Dutton prepares to take the next great leap forward in his career, he is wise to set the boundaries of what the citizenry can discuss, and what it can’t.

In Dutton’s Australia, CEOs can campaign against penalty rates but not for marriage equality. Companies can give political donations to the Liberal and National parties, but presumably not to Australian Marriage Equality. Free speech is great and should be expanded, unless it’s an Australian corporate CEO speaking about same-sex marriage. Then they need to shut up.

For my part, all this talk of knitting is putting me in a crafty mood. I’m off to the shops to buy some yarn. I saw some fantastic pink beanies in America and I think one might come in handy soon.