November 5, 2024
SHARRI MARKSON: Let's bring in Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson right now. James, it goes without saying that you are single handedly holding much of the Albanese government to account. You've done a sensational job on many topics over the past two days. On this issue do you think this is just utter disregard for the rise in extremism and social cohesion that's eroding on our streets, or do you think this is a case of incompetence?
JAMES PATERSON: Sharri, the Labor Party under Anthony Albanese has handed nearly tens of millions of dollars to extremists, to hate preachers, to anti-Israel radicals and to anti-Semites. That can't be by accident. It is either through completely ill care for the spending of taxpayer money and no concern for the implications for our country, or it is a calculated attempt. I think that what the root of this problem is that the Labor Party is far more concerned about their own political interests than the national interest. Because in addition to handing out this taxpayers money for social cohesion to extremists, they also happen to hand them out to organisations in Labor seats. In fact, 78% of the grants given out so far have been to Labor seats. All of those seats are either under siege by the Greens or the Muslim Votes Matter movement. So it seems like their political interests are taking precedence here over the national interest and unfortunately that's what we've come to expect from Labor under Anthony Albanese and particularly in this portfolio under Tony Burke.
MARKSON: It is so deeply disappointing. James Paterson We've also seen the admission that one Palestinian who was given a visa, a fast tracked visa by the Albanese government, has now been moved to onshore detention. That visa has been revoked, we're told, on character grounds, but no proper explanation about why this person was given a visa in the first place and why it's now been cancelled.
PATERSON: You're right, Sharri. For months now, the government has been assuring us that all the necessary checks have taken place, that there should be no concerns about any of the 3,000 tourist visas handed out to Gaza residents who are seeking to come to this country and that there was nothing to fear. But they have now been forced to admit that one person onshore has had their visa cancelled on character grounds. And what that means is that person was granted a visa has come to our country and either they've gone on to do something horrific in our community or a new piece of information has come to light about something that they've done in their past. Now, either way, it's not good for the Albanese government because they assured us that all the necessary checks took place, that they weren't being reckless, that they didn't take any risks. But when you do, as they did in this instance, refer 2,600 visas from Gaza to ASIO on a single day and asked them to vet them, including after many of them had already been issued and many of them had already travelled to Australia, it is bound to end in tears and I fear that's what's happened here.
MARKSON: Now I understand that you've also raised concerns that the Home Affairs Minister could be driving a vehicle, that it's potentially the case that it could have a listening device in it. Can you tell us what your concerns are and why you have made these comments?
PATERSON: So yesterday in Senate estimates Sharri, I asked the Department of Home Affairs to explain the potential national and cyber security risks from internet connected electric vehicles made in China. And they stepped through some of the risks. They said it was possible for these EVs to listen to the occupants while they're in the car. They said it was possible for these EVs to track the movements of that person as they drive through our cities and our states. They said it was possible for the external cameras on these vehicles to be recording other people and for that to be transmitted back to the owners. And they also said that if you plugged in an external device into that car like a mobile phone, you could be compromising that device. I then asked them whether or not they had briefed the Minister for Home Affairs on this issue, and they said that they had briefed him multiple times. And then I asked them whether it was the fact that Tony Burke is driving a Internet connected smart EV vehicle. And they looked at their shoes. They looked at the floor, they looked at the roof to avoid answering the question. But eventually had to admit yes, our Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security is driving around in a car that is a potential listening device for the Chinese Communist Party.
MARKSON: Unbelievable admissions that you've managed to extract on multiple issues at Senate Estimates this week. James Paterson, thank you for your time.
ENDS
