‘I’m on to you’: Albo and Dutton’s fiery clash over AFP raids
Yelling over each other in a heated on-air debate, Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese clashed over controversial raids on journalists.
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In a fiery breakfast TV clash, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese locked horns over the AFP’s controversial raids on journalists.
Today host Deb Knight couldn’t get a word in edgeways for more than two minutes as the political heavyweights exchanged blows this morning.
Mr Dutton insisted that the Labor leader apologise live on air during the clash — accusing him of personally attacking the federal police officers involved in the raids.
“We have laws that operate in this country and the Federal Police who have been criticised by people including Albo, which I think has been quite unfair to target those officers individually,” Mr Dutton said. “You are criticising police officers.”
However, Mr Albanese — who could be seen shaking his head and laughing at Mr Dutton’s assertions — was having none of it.
He said Mr Dutton was trying to “deflect” the issue of press freedom by trying to make him apologise to police officers on live television.
“I’m targeting you, buddy. I’m targeting you, you’re the government,” he hit back. “I don’t even know who (the AFP officers) are. I’m on to you.
RELATED: Timing of AFP raids stinks to high heaven
“I have said it’s outrageous that (News Corp journalist) Annika Smethurst’s house was raided by seven police for seven-and-a-half hours. That’s an outrage.”
Albo’s response was water off a duck’s back for Mr Dutton — who single-mindedly pushed for an elusive apology.
“I’m targeting you buddy, you’re the government.†@AlboMP denies he is blaming the AFP for raids on the media, putting the onus on the government and @PeterDuttonMP. #9Today pic.twitter.com/wvIJIbpPd1
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) June 6, 2019
“The Federal Police have an obligation to investigate a matter that has been referred to them — therefore the criticism that has been levelled against the individual officers by Albo and others is completely unjust,” he said.
“Albo go to your own words, you might regret them.”
As Mr Albanese hit back — outlining what he believed the real concerns for the Australian public were — Mr Dutton kept trying to interrupt with outbursts.
“You’re joking. You’re digging deeper, mate,” he said. “Just apologise.”
Unflustered, Mr Albanese carried on and attacked Mr Dutton’s record on transparency.
“Australians are concerned that media’s capacity to scrutinise government is under threat,” Mr Albanese said.
“What we are seeing here is no-one in the Government being prepared to defend the role that media has in our democracy.”
However, Mr Dutton stressed there was nothing new about the idea that a journalist could go to jail for publishing top secret government documents, saying the suggestion there should be no penalty goes against “tradition”.
RELATED: PM opens door for law change after AFP raids
Asked whether he would be comfortable if that happened, the Home Affairs minister suggested the priority was the leaking of highly classified documents.
“I’m concerned that if people are leaking top-secret documents that can affect our national security,” he said.
The Australian Federal Police hasn’t ruled out laying charges following back-to-back raids this week involving two media outlets.
Federal police are investigating not only the leaking of documents by Commonwealth officers but also the publication of the materials following referrals from — according to Mr Dutton — the Defence Department secretary and the director-general of the Australian Signals Directorate.
Search warrants were executed on the Canberra home of News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst and the Sydney headquarters of the ABC.
The ABC was raided over 2017 stories on allegations Australian soldiers may have carried out unlawful killings in Afghanistan, based on leaked Defence papers.
Ms Smethurst’s home was raided over the 2018 publication of a leaked plan to allow the ASD to spy on Australians.
Mr Dutton, the minister responsible for the AFP, says the laws that can put journalists behind bars for publishing stories with top secret information date back many years.
“That there should be no penalty or consequence for that would go against tradition in our country that spans back many, many decades and the same case in other democracies around the world,” he said.
“There are good reasons and longstanding reasons why a country like us or New Zealand would classify documents in such a way.
“The federal police have an obligation to investigate a matter that’s been referred to them.” But he insisted there were legal protections for whistleblowers and that the government defended media rights.
“We do have protections enshrined in law and we value a very healthy fourth estate. There’s no question of that.”
Mr Albanese disagreed, accusing Mr Dutton of consistently trying to avoid scrutiny of his portfolio.
“What we’re seeing here is no-one in the government being prepared to defend the role that media has in our democracy, which is essential,” he said. “What we need to do is have a mature debate about what the role of the media is in our society, and their capacity to actually provide appropriate scrutiny of government and of opposition.”
News Corp Australasia executive chairman Michael Miller described the AFP actions as dangerous.
“It is a danger to our democracy when professional news reporting is at risk of being criminalised,” he said on Thursday night.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said he’s open to reviewing the legislation underpinning the AFP searches.
“If there are issues regarding particular laws they will be raised in the normal way that they should be in a democracy,” he told reporters in the UK this week. “They are matters I am always open to discuss.” Labor is considering backing a Senate inquiry into the raids proposed by the Greens.
The AFP has left the door open to carrying out further raids as part of its investigations.
Originally published as ‘I’m on to you’: Albo and Dutton’s fiery clash over AFP raids
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