Albanese accused of being missing in action on ISIS, tax, by Coalition

The PM appears to be on mute as debate rages over returning family members of ISIS terrorists to Australia, and a possible tax cuts backflip, says Sussan Ley.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is “missing in action” on critical issues facing the nation including the return of ISIS family members and a possible Labor backflip on tax cuts, deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley has said.

“Where is the prime minister?” Ms Ley asked Thursday.

“We see background briefings, we see press conferences from (Treasurer Jim) Chalmers, but where is Anthony Albanese?”

Speaking about the anger within the local Sydney Assyrian community over the plan to return the wives and children of ISIS terrorists to Australia, Ms Ley said the prime minister needed to “step up” citing the “risk of terrorism.”

“The risk of terrorism demands a serious response from this government.”

Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley is challenging the PM to ‘step up’ on the issue of returning ISIS family members to Australia. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“For the Assyrian community, it is just not good enough that they woke up that they saw on the front page of their newspaper descriptions that appeared to come out of government viewpoints that suggested that families that they had fled from their tormentors.”

In the Middle East, we’re going to be allowed safe passage to Australia at what cost?”

Jacqueline Georges who is the Secretary of the Coalition of the Assyrian Parties Australia is furious at the government's plan to bring back the families of ISIS fighters who left Australia to join Islamic State. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“This is not a question of compassion, it’s a question of keeping Australians safe,” she said.

Earlier, Assyrian community leader Jacqueline Georges told The Daily Telegraph, “We are not happy and we hope the government reverses its decision … because everyone in our community and around the world knows what ISIS has done to our people.”

Ms Ley also weighed in to reports Labor is considering a backflip on legislated Stage 3 tax cuts it promised to honour before the election, Ms Ley said it was “a fundamental breach of faith.”

“This is the worst possible time for labour to equivocate on providing tax relief because mortgage payments are going up again, grocery bills are skyrocketing, power bills are climbing and you’ll recall that Albanese promised to cut your power bills at $275 on 97 separate occasions before the election,” she said.

In recent weeks the Albanese government has been under pressure to scrap the Stage 3 tax cuts, which would see a flat 30 per cent tax rate apply to all income between $45,000 and $200,000 a year.