AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw has again refused to publicly detail when PM briefed on Dural caravan

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw has explained why he won’t provide details of when the Prime Minister was briefed on the discovery of a caravan full of explosives.

The AFP has again refused to reveal when the Prime Minister was briefed on the discovery of a caravan full explosives, saying even “innocuous” details could disrupt sensitive investigations.

The Opposition has seized on Anthony Albanese’s silence on the caravan that raised fears of an anti-Semitic terror plot.

Coalition home affairs spokesman James Paterson again tried to push Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw on the issue during a senate estimates hearing on Tuesday evening.

Commissioner Kershaw said updates would be made public “at the appropriate time”, but he would not be providing an update.

“I understand there is great interest in these investigations, however, I will not provide updates in public forums,” Commissioner Kershaw said in his opening.

AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw has again refused to detail when the Prime Minister was briefed. Picture: Supplied

“Details provided, whether it seems innocuous or not, can have an impact on investigations, including giving suspects on insight about what we knew and when and what processes triggered expected task.

“We are unapologetic that our main priority remains on identifying the offenders and bringing them before the courts.”

Commissioner Kershaw later played a straight bat to Senator Paterson, who wanted to know why such a detail as when a politician was briefed was so sensitive.

Senator Paterson compared the Dural caravan incident with the Wakeley church stabbing, where Mr Albanese said the following morning he had been briefed and was calling a national security council.

Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson again asked the AFP when the prime minister was briefed on the discovery of the Dural caravan. Picture: Supplied

NSW Premier Chris Minns had openly said when he had been briefed by NSW Police and the Prime Minister had been open on when he had been briefed on other potential terror matters.

“I briefed ministers at the appropriate time, and that is often led by my operational arm and done in an appropriate way,” Commissioner Kershaw said.

“I’m not going to speculate – it’s not helpful to our investigation to disclose that.

“As much as I would like to assist, my operational arm would never forgive me.

The grilling came just a day after tempers flared between furious Liberal senators and the government over when the Prime Minister was briefed in a separate hearing.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, with Bennelong MP Jerome Laxale, has been dogged by the Opposition on when he was briefed by the AFP over the Dural caravan discovery. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

Foreign Minister Penny Wong repeatedly ducked attempts from Liberal senators James McGrath and Michaelia Cash to find out the specific date Mr Albanese had been informed

The Prime Minister has to date refused to reveal when he was briefed by authorities after the discovery of the caravan on January 19, nine days before it was first reported by The Daily Telegraph on January 29.

This is despite NSW Premier Chris Minns publicly stating he was briefed by NSW Police on January 20.