Minister refuses to say when she discovered caravan plot was ‘con job’

NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley has repeatedly refused to say when she was informed that the caravan laden with explosives found at Dural was a “con job” organised by crime lords rather than a legitimate terrorism threat.

As Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday he had known about the fabricated caravan plot for “some time”, a government source said the prime minister was aware that a hoax was a key line of inquiry since at least February 8 and largely explained his reticence to weigh into the issue.

Yasmin Catley has refused to say when she was told the Dural caravan was not a legitimate terrorism threat.Credit: Rhett Wyman

The announcement by NSW Police on Monday that the Dural discovery and 14 other antisemitic attacks across Sydney’s east were a “con job” set up by organised crime triggered a firestorm within Macquarie Street. Labor MPs and crossbenchers have demanded answers about whether Premier Chris Minns was aware of the ruse before he rammed through controversial hate-speech laws designed to stop attacks on the Jewish community.

On Tuesday, Minns said he could not recall when he was briefed but defended his handling of the discovery, which he described as “terrorism” in the immediate aftermath.

During a fiery budget estimates hearing on Wednesday morning, Catley faced repeated questions from Greens, Liberal and independent MPs about when she received briefings that the discovery of the caravan on Sydney’s north-western fringe had been concocted by criminals.

Liberal MLC Susan Carter asked Catley on Wednesday: “When were you told that it could be a criminal plot rather than a terror plot?”

Citing community safety, Catley declined to say, leading Carter to retort: “Minister, this information is no longer confidential. It’s in the public domain. It may have been confidential, but it is no longer confidential.

“So why won’t you share what is no longer confidential details of the date on which you received the briefing that this could be a criminal event and not a terrorist event?”

Catley also rebuffed Greens MLC Sue Higginson on whether she was told before February 11, when Minns made a statement to the Legislative Assembly about antisemitism and when the first tranche of the government’s hate-speech legislation was introduced to parliament.

“Are you aware that in the last 50 minutes, even the prime minister has stood up and said he’s been aware for some time. Why can you not do that?” Higginson later asked.

Catley responded: “Because I’m not going to.”

At a press conference 400 metres from NSW Parliament, Albanese said he had known for “some time” but declined to specify when he was briefed. But sources said the prime minister had known the fabricated plot was being pursued by Australian Federal Police for several weeks and since at least February 8.

The Prime Minister’s Office did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.

Catley said she first received a high-level briefing on January 21, two days after the caravan’s discovery. The story was published on the afternoon of January 29, with the premier and Deputy Commissioner David Hudson holding a press conference just hours later.

She then doubled down on criticism of Labor backbencher Stephen Lawrence. On Tuesday Catley told the Herald the request from the upper house MP for a briefing on “when the government knew the Dural event was not a potential ‘mass casualty event’” was the most stupid idea she could remember.

Catley told budget estimates she stood by the remarks, claiming Lawrence had asked her to bring police to the Labor caucus to “talk about a covert operation”.

Hudson said publicly on January 30 that he suspected the caravan could be part of a broader criminal plot. Appearing at budget estimates, the deputy commissioner said the prospect of a terrorist plot could not be ruled out.

Under questioning from Independent MP Rod Roberts, Hudson later said police discounted the prospect that the caravan was a legitimate terrorist threat on February 21, the day the government’s anti-speech legislation passed the upper house.

Hudson also said an attack on a Newtown synagogue on January 10 was not driven by ideology but part of the broader effort by criminal figures to lessen their prison sentences.

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