PM calls ASIO boss a ‘big boy’ as Dutton signals no relief on Gaza visa pressure

The Prime Minister’s comments come after the ASIO boss broke his silence on the heated debate over visa vetting processes for people fleeing the war in Gaza.

Anthony Albanese has rebuffed opposition accusations the Prime Minister had put his intelligence boss “in a difficult position,” saying the ASIO head could “speak for himself”.

ASIO director-general Mike Burgess earlier broke his silence on the row over visa vetting processes for Palestinians fleeing Gaza, telling the ABC “people have chosen to distort” his words.

He confirmed anyone who supported Hamas would not pass an ASIO security check.

While the opposition’s immigration spokesman Dan Tehan told Sky News on Tuesday the Coalition was “satisfied” with Mr Burgess’ clarification, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton went in for another swing at the government.

He accused Mr Albanese of “misleading” parliament by “suggesting that ASIO have checked each of these individuals”.

ASIO director-general Mike Burgess says ‘people have chosen to distort’ his words in heated exchanges in parliament over visa vetting processes for people fleeing the war in Gaza. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“I think he’s put Mr Burgess in a difficult position,” Mr Dutton said.

“I think, frankly, the Prime Minister should be apologising to the ASIO boss for what they’ve put in place, which has made ASIO’s job much harder.”

Speaking to reporters in Perth, Mr Albanese said Mr Burgess could hold his own.

“Mike Burgess is a big boy. He can speak for himself, and he has ... and his comments are there for all to see,” he said.

“Mike Burgess keeps Australians safe. He’s not a political opponent, he was appointed by the former government, reappointed by my government.”

He called on the Coalition to “back” Mr Burgess rather than play a “political game” with national security and “dissect every word” the ASIO director-general says.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he has backs ASIO director-general Mike Burgess (right). Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Mr Burgess said in August that “rhetorical support” for Hamas was not necessarily a deal breaker for granting visas but ruled out anyone with “an ideology or support for a violent extremism ideology”.

Since then, his name has been invoked numerous times in opposition statements and questions framing the Albanese government as weak on national security.

“I’ve watched with interest over the last couple of weeks how people have chosen to distort what I said,” Mr Burgess told the ABC.

“I said that if you support a Palestinian homeland that may not discount you (from entering Australia) because that by itself is not a problem.

“But I also said if you have a violent extremist ideology, or you provide material or financial support to a terrorist organisation, that will be a problem.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has pitched question after question at the government over Gaza visas. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Shortly after Mr Burgess’ original comments, Coalition MPs wrote a letter to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke requesting he tighten visa vetting for applicants from Gaza to ensure they held no rhetorical support for Hamas.

But Mr Dutton went a step further, demanding all visa applications from Gaza be refused, saying people fleeing the war could pose a threat to Australia’s national security.

Subsequently, despite a packed legislative agenda, Gaza visas dominated the first sitting fortnight since the parliamentary winter break.

Though the opposition was largely careful not to impugn Mr Burgess.

It instead pointed to policy settings, even though they were the same as under the former Coalition government.

Mr Burgess says there is no softening on ASIO’s security vetting. Picture: NewsWire

In his latest remarks to the ABC, Mr Burgess made clear there was no softening on his agency’s security vetting.

“If you think terrorism is OK, if you think the destruction of the State of Israel is OK, if you think Hamas and what they did on the 7th of October is OK, I can tell you that is not OK, and from an ASIO security assessment point of view, you will not pass muster,” he said.

“We focus on: Are you a threat to security, a direct or indirect threat to security? And if we find you such, we will do an adverse security assessment, which would result in you not getting a visa, most likely.”

Nearly 3000 visas have been granted to Palestinians since militant group Hamas launched its brutal October 7 assault on Israel, with children making up approximately 30 per cent.

But only 1300 recipients have actually made it to Australia.

Mr Dutton said ASIO and the AFP were “spending an enormous amount of resource and money trying to identify whether people are of questionable character or not.”

“Now, maybe 100 per cent of those people are law abiding, wonderful citizens who just want to make Australia home, but we don’t know whether that’s the case or not, because the checks haven’t been done,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

Mr Dutton accused the Prime Minister of “misleading” parliament by “suggesting that ASIO have checked each of these individuals”.