Peter Dutton says Bridget Archer ‘an important part of our team’ after claim Liberals could dump her

Opposition leader acknowledges ‘divergence of views’ but says the Liberal moderate represents the constituents in her marginal seat

• Follow our Australia news live blog for the latest updates
• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

Peter Dutton has declared the outspoken Liberal moderate Bridget Archer is “an important part of our team” in response to a suggestion from a veteran party insider that the Liberal party could dump her ahead of the next federal election.

The federal opposition leader told journalists on Wednesday that Archer worked hard and represented the views of her constituents in the marginal electorate of Bass in Tasmania.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup