PM Anthony Albanese opens up about consular assistance for Gregor Haas

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has weighed in after the father of an NRL star was arrested on drug charges in the Philippines.

Albo speaks about Gregor Haas' arrest

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has spoken about the consular assistance the Australian government will provide to Gregor Haas.

The 46-year-old, who is the father of Brisbane Broncos NRL star Payne Haas, was arrested in Cebu City in the Philippines on Wednesday and faces extradition to Indonesia, having allegedly evaded Indonesian authorities since last December.

After Treasure Jim Chalmers noted on Saturday the Government would provide assistance to the Australian citizen, Albanese was asked further what that would entail on Sunday.

“The Australian Government has a bipartisan position of being opposed to the death penalty for a long period of time,” Albanese said.

“That remains our position and we always make representations. It is, of course, at a very early stage of these accusations which have been made.

“We will provide consular assistance to Mr Hass, as we do for all Australian citizens in such circumstances.”

. Gregor Haas was arrested in Cebu City on Wednesday and faces extradition to Indonesia, where he is accused of running a sufficient quantity of drugs to qualify for the death penalty in that country.

Albanese spoke about the arrest and government assistance. Picture: David Crosling

While Haas is currently detained in the Philippines, authorities are said to be working on extradition to Indonesia.

Albanese said the government will continue to stand up for one of its citizens and this instant won’t be any different than any other.

“We will continue to make diplomatic representations in an appropriate way,” Albanese said in regards to deportation.

“One of the things that the Australian Government do is we stand up for Australian citizens, we make appropriate representations through diplomatic channels and we’ll do doing that in this occasion again.”

The arrest as reported by Indonesian television. Photo: NTV News

Head of the Public Relations and Protocol Bureau of National Narcotics Board (BNN), Brigadier General Sulistyo Pudjo Hartono, said Indonesian authorities had been tracking the 46-year-old after a drug trafficking case from December 5, 2023, when he was found with 5kg of crystal methamphetamine.

“We will immediately take him and ask him to reveal his network in Indonesia and other places. He used to move a lot, not only in Indonesia but other countries as well,” Hartono said via Indonesian news agency ANTARA.

There are no suggestions any other Haas family members are involved in the allegations levelled at Gregor Haas.

The Courier Mail reported in March that Payne Haas had taken custody of his two younger brothers after Gregor had moved overseas to focus on business interests.

Haas in action on Friday night. Photo Steve Pohlner

Payne Haas took his place on the field for the Brisbane Broncos on Friday night as they pinched a 13-12 win over the Manly Sea Eagles.

Broncos coach Kevin Walters spoke after the match and said the club was doing all they could to support their star player.

“Payne’s a very strong individual and his family is as well. A lot of people probably don’t understand or realise the person Payne is,” Walters said.

“He’s a tremendous guy, tremendous family person and in this moment in time that he’s going through we will get around him in every way we can to support him and his family. That’s all we can do.

“Payne’s just such a great person of integrity … and what he’s doing with his family even before this incident is something we need to be very respectful of.”