February 24, 2025
Australians will be unlikely to receive clarity on when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was briefed on the foiled Dural terror plot ahead of the election - to be held on or before May 17.
It has been reported Mr Albanese was not properly informed about a caravan bomb plot targeting the Jewish community until days after New South Wales Premier Chris Minns was briefed on the matter.
The Coalition has been heavily critical of Mr Albanese over the issue, suggesting he was not briefed because the authorities did not trust him.
While Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has demanded to know more about when Mr Albanese was informed, the government has continued to avoid the subject.
During Senate Estimates on Monday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed that all questions related to the matter would be taken on notice.
This prompted uproar from the Coalition, with Senators Michaelia Cash and James Paterson releasing a scathing statement following the conclusion of the session.
"Labor's coordinated 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," the statement read.
"Across two Senate committees the government and departmental officials refused to answer Coalition questions about the potential terrorist attack."
Senator Wong's decision means the demand for answers regarding the Prime Minister’s knowledge of the plot will likely not be addressed until after the election, if at all.
The Dural caravan, filled with explosives and reportedly carrying the addresses of Jewish targets, was discovered by NSW police in mid-January.
The Coalition has been keen to establish the exact timeline, questioning why Mr Albanese was reportedly briefed days after NSW Premier Chris Minns.
There have also been concerns about whether Mr Albanese had been slow to act on the critical information.
At the Senate hearing, Senator Wong was asked to address the Prime Minister’s involvement and when he was made aware of the plot.
"Any questions about the Dural matter will be taken on notice," she said, prompting outcry from the opposition.
Mr Paterson also pressed the government on when Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke was informed about the terror plot.
“You are so determined to play politics with this that you’re happy for us to disclose information that could be relevant to the police investigation,” Senator Murray Watt said in reply.
Senator Paterson also asked Department of Home Affairs Secretary Stephanie Foster about how politicians are notified about security incidents in general.
“We exercise judgment in relation to the circumstances of particular incidents,” she said.
Home Affairs Deputy Secretary National Security and Resilience Nathan Smyth explained there was “a set of agreed procedures” on notification protocol.
When Senator Paterson asked if the Home Affairs Minister was only made aware of the terror plot after media reports emerged, his line of questioning was blocked.
In his joint statement with Senator Cash, Senator Paterson claimed the only reason the Albanese government and officials had refused to answer the questions was that they were "embarrassed of the answers".
His colleague agreed, claiming the "farcical performance" in Senate Estimates was merely aimed at preventing the issue from damaging Mr Albanese's reputation ahead of the election.
"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," Senator Cash 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."
