Anthony Albanese, Peter Dutton clash during TV debate on press freedom

Anthony Albanese and the Home Affairs Minister have traded barbs over AFP’s media raids | WATCH

Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese clash on the Today show.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton traded verbal blows this morning in a fiery debate over journalists’ freedom after Australian Federal Police raided the homes and offices of News Corp and ABC journalists this week.

Mr Albanese told Mr Dutton he was “onto (him)” for trying to avoid media scrutiny and crack down on journalist’s freedom.

“The media’s capacity to be scrutinised government is under threat. That is a concern that Australians’ have,” Mr Albanese told Mr Dutton on The Today Show.

“You ... have consistently been trying to avoid scrutiny in all of the portfolios you’ve had.”

“Mate, you’re joking aren’t you?” Mr Dutton challenged, telling Mr Albanese he was “digging deeper”.

Mr Dutton tried to deflect from the copious amount of criticism heaped on the government’s handling of AFP raids on journalists by accusing Mr Albanese of attacking the individual officers who stormed Sunday Telegraph journalist Annika Smethurst’s house and the ABC’s Ultimo offices.

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“We have laws that operate in this country and the Federal Police have been criticised by people including Albo which I think has been quite unfair to target those officers individually,” Mr Dutton said.

“You are criticising police officers,” he levelled at Mr Albanese.

“I said it’s outrageous that Annika Smethurst’s house was raided by seven police for 7.5 hours. That’s an outrage,” Mr Albanese countered.

“Are you criticising the police Albo? That’s an investigation. They make a decision and you are wrong.”

Mr Dutton defended the AFP’s actions saying it was part of an independent investigation into national security concerns.

“If you look at the referral — the referral has been made by the secretary of the defence department and the director general of the Australian Signals Directorate as I understand it, they have made the referral to the Australian Federal police. The Federal police have an obligation to investigate that matter if it’s been referred to them. And they’ve got equally an obligation under law to conduct their inquiries independently.”

Federal police at the ABC during their raid this week. Picture: John Lyons/Twitter

Mr Dutton’s defence of the AFP comes after the AFP acting commissioner Neil Gaughan said he could not rule out criminal prosecution for journalists who published classified information.

“I’m not going to rule in or rule out any one subject to further charges,” Mr Gaughan said.

“Our investigations are an objective search for the truth. It involves the discovery and presentation of evidence in an exhaustive, comprehensive, and organised manner. No sector of the community should be immune to this type of activity or evidence collection more broadly,” he said.

Mr Dutton said the AFP’s investigations of journalists were justified if national security was at risk

“I’m concerned about people leaking top secret documents that can affect our national security,” Mr Dutton said.

“No one is saying there shouldn’t be a debate about what a government is or isn’t proposing,” Mr Dutton said.

“But there are long standing reasons why a country like us or New Zealand would classify documents in such a way. The point is that Federal Police have an obligation to investigate a matter that’s been referred to them.”

The AFP raid the home of News Corp Australia journalist Annika Smethurst.

A ‘disturbing trend’

Later in the morning, Mr Albanese gave an impassioned defence of the freedom of press during a media conference at the Australian Electoral Commission in Sydney.

“What we have here is an issue which fundamental to democracy - freedom of the press, Mr Morrison and Mr Dutton and Mr Morrison have to say what exactly their position is on freedom of the press. At the moment they’re silent on it, they pretend it’s nothing to do with them and there’s nothing to see here,” Mr Albanese said.

“I’ll defend it even if the government won’t. This is an issue that is disturbing.

“I’ve said that Annika Smethurst is a professional journalist who told Australia that there was proposals being considered that would give pause for concern for all those worried about the privacy of Australian citizens.

“Annika Smethurst reported (those proposals) I think it’s a good thing that those (proposals) were reported because Australia does have a right to know what is going on in a democracy.”

“I support the freedom of press, I support the right of journalists to do their job, the police have a job to do and journalists have a job to do.”

Mr Albanese delivered a scathing criticism of Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s handling of the AFP raids on journalists and a failure to ensure protections for freedom of press.

“At the moment Scott Morrison is pretending that he has no role in the setting up of the framework which defends our democracy. I want someone in our government to defend freedom of press. I’m waiting - I’ve been waiting for days. It’s about someone did.”