October 9, 2024
JAMES PATERSON: Good morning. These are incredibly serious allegations published on the front page of The Daily Telegraph today by Clare Armstrong. That a man who is now in Australia previously hosted meetings in Palestine with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, with Hamas, with Palestinian Islamic Jihad, all organisations which are listed as terrorist organisations in Australia or by our allies. That this person also has brothers and sons who are senior operatives in listed terrorist organisations. That he headed an institute which has published art which is anti-Semitic and glorifies terrorism. If these allegations are correct, then the Albanese government has very serious questions to answer today. How did this person enter Australia? What visa is he on? Was it sent to ASIO for vetting before it was granted? And why has he remained in Australia despite these very grave associations? It's time for Tony Burke to actually step up and answer some questions. Tony Burke has not conducted one press conference as Minister for Home Affairs since he was appointed to the portfolio. But he can't remain in hiding today. He has to front up and explain what he knew, what the Albanese government knew, and when they knew it. And now what they are going to do about it. Because our national security is too sensitive to be left on the sidelines like this. Happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: So do we have any idea of when he was allowed into the country?
PATERSON: I don't know when this person entered the country. I don't know what visa he entered the country and I don't know why he is here today. Let's remember that Mike Burgess has said the act of simply liking a tweet that is supportive of Hamas or that calls for the destruction of Israel is enough for someone to be considered a security threat to Australia. If you're a security threat to Australia for liking a tweet, then what does this amount to? And if even you are not a security threat, how do you pass the character test if you've been hanging out with listed terrorist organisations?
JOURNALIST: If he was let in, say, ten years ago, 20 years ago, and it's not as much of a recent... highly... I don't know, it's a very tenuous period at the moment where we are scrutinising a lot of people that do come into the country. If this was perhaps under a Coalition government, will you still take such a hard stance on it?
PATERSON: Whenever he entered Australia it's a problem for Australia and he should not remain in Australia. And it is on this government's watch that he's in Australia. Now it appears from media reporting that he came to our country after the 7th of October and certainly the footage of him appearing at a press conference with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine are more recently than those dates would offer. But really, only the government can answer these questions. Really only the government is in possession of that information. It is time for Tony Burke to front up today.
JOURNALIST: Are you concerned that Home Affairs and Attorney General's officials anticipated that the first community safety audit cases could be brought by September? Noting it's already October and we haven't had any yet.
PATERSON: Yes, I am extremely concerned that still to this day, after the parliament rushed emergency laws through the Parliament before Christmas to enable the Albanese government to preventatively detain any of the high risk detainees who had been released into the community following the High Court’s decision and still yet not one application has been made to the courts. Let's remember that Andrew Giles, as immigration minister in May, said these applications were imminent. We are now almost 12 months on since that legislation was passed and no actions have been taken. And as your reporting suggests today, they were planning to do something in September, but it is almost the middle of October and they still haven't acted. So again, Tony Burke must front up. He must explain why hasn't he done a press conference since he became Home Affairs Minister. What is he hiding from? What questions is it that he doesn't want to answer?
Thanks everyone.
ENDS
