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February 24, 2025
Labor’s co-ordinated cover-up of the simple fact of when the Prime Minister was first told of the explosive laden Dural caravan that contained the address of a Sydney synagogue continued today in Senate Estimates hearings.
Across two Senate committees the Government and Departmental officials refused to answer Coalition questions about the potential terrorist attack.
In an opening statement to the Finance and Public Administration committee Senator Penny Wong, representing the Prime Minister, said that she would be taking all questions about the Dural caravan incident on notice.
The same tactic of taking the questions on notice was employed in the Legal and Constitutional Affairs committee.
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Michaelia Cash asked Senator Wong a series of questions in the relation to when the Prime Minister was briefed but was continually stonewalled by Senator Wong taking the questions on notice.
“Senator Wong kept referring to the Australian Federal Police and their active investigation but will not explain why that investigation would be compromised by giving a simple date of when the Prime Minister was briefed,’’ Senator Cash said.
“The reality is that the only reason the Government will not reveal when Mr Albanese was briefed is because he didn't know about the attack until much too late and now he's worried that it will make him look like he's not on top serious national security issues,’’ she said.
“NSW Premier Chris Minns was happy to tell everyone when he was briefed on the Dural Caravan plot,’’ Senator Cash said.
“In the past, the PM has been more than happy to tell Australians when he was briefed about the terrorist attack at the Adas Synagogue, and about the terrorist attack at the Wakely church,’’ she said.
"The problem for Mr Albanese is that his failure to be across his brief on critical national security issues just confirms that he's a weak Prime Minister who didn't even know about a potential mass casualty terrorist attack in Australia,’’ she said.
“This farcical performance in Estimates is a desperate Government trying to hang on by its fingernails so they can escape scrutiny before the Federal election,’’ Senator Cash said.
“Today’s stance by Senator Wong is completely contradictory to views she has expressed in previous estimates hearings in regard to transparency,’’ she said.
Shadow Minister for Home Affairs, Senator James Paterson said: “the Albanese government could not explain why it has previously answered important questions on national security matters without harming any investigation, but not disclose when Anthony Albanese and Tony Burke were first briefed on the caravan discovery in Dural.”
On 6 and 11 December 2024 the Prime Minister publicly divulged that he was briefed by the AFP Commissioner on the Adass Israel synagogue attack; on 12 July 2024 the Prime Minister said he was “briefed extensively” by our security agencies regarding the espionage charges against two alleged Russian spies in the defence force; on 28 May 2024 the Department of Home Affairs confirmed the former Minister for Home Affairs was notified and subsequently briefed in the hours following the Wakeley church terrorist attack on 15 April 2024; and finally the Prime Minister confirmed he spoke to the AFP Commissioner in relation to the two nurses sacked by NSW Health over an antisemitic video.
“The only reason why the Albanese government is refusing to answer these questions is because it is embarrassed of the answers,” Senator Paterson said.
ENDS