Angus Taylor arrives for first question time as Liberal Party, Opposition Leader
National leader David Littleproud asked Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke whether he was aware of any intelligence advice last year that “at least one ISIS sympathizer poses a security threat to Australians”.
Burke mocked Littleproud, saying the opposition was not prepared to handle sensitive information if the Coalition expected the government to make it public.
“Number one, no one should be talking in the privacy of the House of Representatives about the intelligence advice you’re getting from the agencies. If you want an example of a group of people who are not ready for national security, question time is when they start asking questions about the advice that’s coming from the intelligence agencies,” Burke said.
Burke said anyone ASIO recommended as a security threat would be temporarily banned from returning to Australia.
“The government would prefer none of them return, but if anyone meets the legal threshold for a temporary deportation order and our agencies make that recommendation then the order will be implemented as before,” Burke said.
The question was followed by Andrew Hastie asking, in the context of the ongoing conflict in Iran: “Has the government halted its plan to bring home ISIS sympathizers and will the government prioritize bringing home law-abiding Australian citizens who are at risk from the conflict?”
Albanese replied: “The basis of the question is wrong.”
