Dickson MP Peter Dutton and Labor candidate Ali France have both accused each other of not caring about the Dickson electorate.

Over the weekend Mr Dutton, the Home Affairs Minister, apologised to Ms France for comments made about her “using her disability as an excuse” not to move to Dickson.

“Ali France lives in Ashgrove so she doesn’t know much about Dickson,” Mr Dutton said when interviewed by The Junction before his latest comments.

“That’s why the local members didn’t want her as their candidate, you see, they wanted and voted for Linda Lavarch because she’s a local and understands our local area.

“And Ms France was imposed with the support of factional leaders including Steven Miles, others from the Left, so I don’t think Ali France knows much about our area.”

Ms France lives in a wheelchair-accessible home and has said she has not been able to find one in Dickson.

She also said her party’s endorsement as Labor’s Dickson candidate was overwhelming.

“We are campaigning for the future of our community,” Ms France said.

“While Mr Dutton has been focussed on his own career in Canberra and doing deals with his big business mates millions of dollars have been cut from Metro North hospitals and local schools in Dickson.”

While Ms France’s policies endorse medical facilities, Mr Dutton said Dickson voters care about immigration policies.

“I’ve had my caravan out this morning and we’ve had recent polling done,” Mr Dutton said when interviewed.

“Interestingly in our electorate the issue of immigration and border patrol came up.

“That would be people on both sides of the argument, some saying we should bring more people in, some saying we should bring less in.

“Some people concerned about border patrol, some people will conflate that issue with congestion and housing issues locally.”

The former Immigration Minister said Australia was doing enough for asylum seekers and criticised the Medevac Bill.

“We’ve provided significant medical assistance on both Nauru and Manus to the point, I might add, that nobody has yet come to Australia under the Medevac Bill,” Mr Dutton said.

“In any system where you have a finite resource and you’re bringing additional people into that system you will displace people, it’s as simple as that.”

Mr Dutton holds Dickson by a margin of 1.7 per cent.