Paul Starick | Perfect storm for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over released detainees fiasco

Releasing murderers, rapists, pedophiles and other convicted criminals from immigration detention is exploding before a hapless Labor government, writes Paul Starick.

The imbroglio caused by releasing murderers, rapists, pedophiles and other convicted criminals from immigration detention is exploding before a hapless Labor government, which is floundering in its response.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his ministers have responded insipidly to The Advertiser’s revelation that a convicted sex predator – one of those released after the High Court ruled indefinite detention was unlawful – has been charged with indecently assaulting a woman in Pooraka, in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.

Then, on Tuesday afternoon, it was revealed a third criminal asylum seeker had been arrested since being freed – the former ringleader of a child exploitation gang who is alleged to have breached his reporting obligations and made contact with minors in Victoria.

Perhaps the only reprieve on Tuesday for Mr Albanese’s government was the Reserve Bank’s decision to keep interest rates on hold until at least February.

Recently released detainee Aliyawar Yawari outside a Perth motel. He has been charged with two counts of indecently assaulting a woman at Pooraka, in Adelaide’s northern suburbs. Picture: Paul Garvey

But the cost-of-living crisis that has torpedoed Labor’s voter support has been joined by a border protection imbroglio, handing the Coalition multiple free kicks in front of goal on two longstanding touchstone issues.

The Coalition has owned border protection since John Howard indelibly claimed it as a signature issue by declaring during the 2001 election campaign: “We will decide who comes to this country and the circumstances in which they come.”

Labor’s failure to keep the crooks behind bars is igniting the public and the Coalition is reaping political dividends. Opposition Senate Leader Simon Birmingham on Tuesday thundered theatrically that the consequences of Labor’s border protection failure were writ large by the convicted sexual predator’s indecent assault charges.

“Ask the woman in South Australia who was sexually assaulted what she thinks of the way your government has handled this,” he told parliament, protected from contempt of court laws by privilege.

By contrast, government ministers have been on the back foot, fending off Opposition calls for the resignations of Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil and Immigration Minister Andrew Giles.

Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil, who is facing calls to resign.

Former Labor leader and frontbencher Bill Shorten insisted the ministers had “moved with the utmost speed to introduce preventative detention laws” after the High Court decision and rejected calls for their heads.

“The logic of that is that the High Court should resign if you really think that there was some way to prevent this,” he said.

Unfortunately for Labor, there’s no easy way out of this morass. Even if legislation can be passed to re-detain those freed, then severe, lasting damage has been done. Labor’s reputation on border protection is again in tatters.