April 30, 2024
Anthony Albanese needs to apologise to the Girrawheen couple whose home was allegedly invaded by a former immigration detainee, Liberal leader Libby Mettam has declared.
Both Federal and WA Liberal oppositions have demanded Labor answer questions on the security arrangements imposed on those released amid revelations ex-detainee Majid Jamshidi Doukoshkan was involved in the alleged assault and robbery.
Mr Jamshidi Doukoshkan faced court on Monday charged over the attack, in which three men allegedly conned their way into Ninette and Philip Simons' home by pretending to be police officers. Mrs Simons was bashed and $200,000 worth of jewellery was stolen from their home.
"The Prime Minister owes this family and the broader community an apology," Ms Mettam, below, said on Monday.
"What we have seen here was not without warning questions were raised in Parliament last year to the Premier, who abdicated responsibility, who stated that these detainees were being monitored and said most of the detainees were going east.
"This Government has failed to ensure that the community has been safe from detainees who we know were a risk to the community." Ms Mettam also raised concerns over arrangements for monitoring the detainees released after the High Court ruling, saying Premier Roger Cook had assured West Australians those remaining in this State would be monitored "closely".
"The tragedy surrounding the individuals who were violently attacked as a result of this home invasion is hard enough to grapple with but to understand the complete failure of Roger Cook and the Labor Government to keep the community safe, and to take on their own responsibilities in relation to this crime, beggars belief," Ms Mettam said.
In a statement, Police Minister Paul Papalia said the State Government had no role in monitoring the former detainees the responsibility of which fell on the Commonwealth, Australian Border Force and Australian Federal Police.
Shadow home affairs minister James Paterson said the Girrawheen allegations were "every Australian's worst nightmare".
"Ninette is 73 years old. She's a grandmother. She's a cancer survivor. And what happened to her and her husband never should have happened," he said.
"It shouldn't have happened because one of those three alleged assailants was someone who was released by the Albanese Labor Government following the NZYQ decision last year and was free in the community, despite the fact that he was in court in February for having repeatedly breached the conditions of his visa.
"The Parliament gave the Albanese Government all the powers it needed to protect the community. Because of the Albanese Government's failure to use these powers, on not a single occasion, have they sought or received a preventive detention order to take these people off the streets." Inquiries to Minister for Home Affairs Clare O'Neill and Minister for Immigration Andrew Giles' were referred to Australian Border Force . A spokesperson said the agency was "aware" of the arrest, but it was inappropriate to provide further detail.
