February 5, 2025
Anthony Albanese's refusal to reveal when he was told about the planned mass casualty terror attack targeting Jewish-Australians in Sydney is undermined by his previous public confirmations regarding terrorism, espionage and defence national security briefings.
The Australian understands Peter Dutton will ramp up pressure on the Prime Minister in parliament this week on when he was briefed about the discovery of a caravan in Dural that was packed with enough explosives to create a 40m blast and contained a note with addresses of Jewish people and a synagogue.
After the caravan was located in Sydney on January 19, NSW Premier Chris Minns later revealed he received a briefing from NSW Police the very next day, on January 20.
On January 21, Mr Albanese joined Mr Minns for a visit to the scene of a firebombed Sydney childcare centre before holding an emergency national cabinet meeting where the caravan terror plot was not discussed.
Eight days later, The Daily Telegraph broke the story about the explosives-laden caravan.
Despite Mr Minns' public confirmation on when he was informed, Mr Albanese has repeatedly rebuffed questions about when he was first alerted.
Amid growing belief among senior Coalition and Jewish figures that Labor's obfuscation on when the government was advised is untenable, The Australian can reveal Mr Albanese has on multiple occasions discussed the timing of briefings from national security agencies.
Following the Adass Israel Synagogue firebombing late last year, Mr Albanese said he was briefed by AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw on December 6 and December 11, and the National Security Committee of cabinet was briefed by security agencies on December 9.
After the Wakeley church terror attack, Mr Albanese on April 16 said he had been briefed by Mr Kershaw and ASIO director-general Mike Burgess. Mr Albanese was also briefed by the AFP on July 12 last year about a Russian espionage case.
Ahead of Mr Kershaw appearing at a Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement public hearing on Thursday to discuss the AFP annual report, Mr Albanese on Tuesday rejected a Coalition question in parliament about when he was first advised.
PM's claim undone by his own statements the planned mass casualty terror attack in Dural.
"It goes to national security issues. On national security, there are two priorities. The first priority is keeping the public safe. The second and related principle is that we engage with the Australian Federal Police and the national intelligence agencies," Mr Albanese said.
"We don't go out there and brief about national security committee meetings. We don't discuss those details because it's an ongoing investigation. This isn't some game and it should not be about politics."
In response to a follow-up question from manager of opposition business Michael Sukkar asking for "a date and not the detail" of security briefings, Mr Albanese said "we back up our national security agencies rather than seek to undermine them".
While the Coalition on Tuesday focused heavily on cost-of-living issues in question time, Mr Dutton intends to keep the pressure on Mr Albanese over transparency around the timing of AFP and ASIO briefings.
Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said the Prime Minister "never talks about national security committee meetings or intelligence briefings except when it suits him politically ... then he's very happy to disclose them".
"There is no operational reason or convention which prevents him from answering this question only political embarrassment," Senator Paterson said.
"If he wasn't briefed, it is a massive failure of our national security architecture on his watch. If he was briefed, but didn't take any action, that's a shocking indictment of his leadership.
"He should do the decent thing and be up-front like Chris Minns has. Australians and the Jewish community deserve answers about how Labor has handled the largest potential terrorist attack in recent memory."
The use of the word "protocols" by Mr Albanese and government figures is understood to be connected with existing procedures, which set thresholds around briefings linked to whether an incident is considered an immediate threat or imminent risk.
After the initial police response to the explosives-laden caravan on January 19, the Joint Counter Terrorism Team taskforce, which typically comprises the NSW Police, AFP, ASIO and NSW Crime Commission, was stood up on January 20. While the Adass Israel synagogue firebombing in Melbourne was deemed an imminent safety threat, the caravan investigation was likely considered to not be a live threat.
Amid rising anti-Semitism fears in Victoria, Glen Eira City Council mayor Simone Zmood and her four predecessors in the role wrote to Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan calling for increased police patrols. Ms Zmood, whose council represents the biggest Jewish population in Melbourne, urged Ms Allan to permanently increase police presence in the city's southeast.
Ms Zmood said that action was needed to "ensure ongoing safety and restore the trust and confidence of our community".
Wentworth MP Allegra Spender, who represents Sydney regions by anti- Semitic attacks, on Tuesday won parliamentary support for a motion that "unequivocally condemns anti-Semitism in all its forms".
Ms Spender's motion made clear all MPs must "work constructively together to combat the scourge of anti-Semitism in Australia".
The teal independent said "we will not stand for hate. We will not stand for abuse. We will not abide intimidation. We will not tolerate the terrorising of any part of our community. We are united against anti-Semitism."
Mr Albanese said anti-Semitism has "no place in our nation" and pledged that his government would fight the scourge with the "full force of the law". The Labor leader rejected criticism that he had been slow to react to an escalation in attacks against the Jewish community.
Geoff Chambers Rhiannon Down
