ASIO boss urges restraint in political rhetoric

Mike Burgess has condemned the Iranian ambassador’s labelling of Israel as 'the Zionist plague', naming Iran as one of 'three to four' countries caught interfering in Australian domestic affairs.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) and ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess speak during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra last week. Picture: AAP

Welcome to The Weekend Australian's live politics blog, Politics Now, covering the latest from Canberra and around the country. 

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7:14 pm August 11, 2024

Labor playing 'farcical' games over CFMEU bill: Greens

Staff writers

Greens housing spokesperson Max Chandler-Mather says the government's legislation to place CFMEU construction divisions into administration has not been made available to parliamentarians yet, accusing Labor of playing “farcical” games.

Last week, Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt said the passing of the legislation was in the hands of the Coalition and the Greens, while urging them to accept the motion instead of playing politics.

Mr Watt also said he had met with the Greens Leader Adam Bandt to speak about the legislation.

“They're going around saying this is a test for the parliament and for the Greens. They haven't shown anyone. As far as we know, they certainly haven't shown us,” Mr Chandler Mather told Sky News.

“The number of times they play politics like this, they try to leverage the power that they have as the government, and refuse to show people pieces of legislation. It's frankly not clear if they're at all fit to govern at the moment.”

Mr Chandler-Mather also locked horns with new Housing Minister Clare O'Neil over the government's housing policies, accusing her of handing profits to developers while snubbing ordinary Australians in a cost-of-living crisis.

“We have a Labor government that is giving $165bn in tax handouts to property investors and can’t even negotiate… to spend a little bit more on public and affordable housing,” he said.

“The new minister claims that she cares about people doing it tough. Well, walk the walk.”

— Mohammad Alfares

6:27 pm August 11, 2024

Watt defends Labor's record on tackling inflation

Staff writers

Employment Minister Murray Watt has defended Labor’s record on tackling inflation after concerns from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) about government spending.

The RBA last week announced it will keep interest rates at 4.35 per cent after months of speculation over a possible rate hike.

In making the announcement, the central bank also upgraded its outlook for GDP growth in 2025, where it revealed government spending plans had played a role in keeping demand high.

Speaking on Sky News from Brisbane, Mr Watt said the government and the RBA “are at one in terms of fighting inflation”.

“The Reserve Bank Governor acknowledged that governments have a job to do, which is to provide services, to provide infrastructure, in addition to taking serious action to keep inflation coming down, and that's exactly what we're doing,” Mr Watt said.

Asked if the economy was running too high, Mr Watt disagreed and launched an attack on the Coalition.

“Let's remember that when we came to office, inflation was over 6 per cent. That's the legacy left behind by the Coalition. But at the same time, we do need to make sure that we don't crash the economy entirely, and there are all sorts of comments being made by Angus Taylor, Peter Dutton and others calling for cuts to spending without recognising the serious harm that would do to an economy which is already experiencing fairly low growth.”

— Mohammad Alfares

5:58 pm August 11, 2024

Four arrested following neo-Nazi rally in Brisbane

Staff writers

Four men have been arrested during a large neo-Nazi demonstration in Brisbane after performing an outlawed Hitler chant in front of the public.

Around 40 people from the National Socialist Network (NSN) paraded through Brisbane City on Sunday, dressed in all black clothes with face masks.

Members were heard chanting “Hail victory” and “Australia for the white man, the rest must go”.

The phrase “Hail victory” was adopted by the Nazi party in Germany and used by White Supremacists following World War II.

Queensland Police will allege the four men arrested had become disruptive and obstructed officers.

Premier Steven Miles condemned the protest and said the racist behaviour was “nothing short of abhorrent”.

“This is not the Queensland I live in and it is not the Queensland I lead. We are a state full of many cultures, which should be celebrated,” Mr Miles said.

“Thank you to the police who spend their days keeping our communities safe.”

State Opposition Leader David Crisafulli also slammed the marchers as pathetic “small-minded fools”.

“I condemn this provocative and pathetic behaviour in the strongest possible terms,” he said.

“These small-minded fools should have the book thrown at them because racism has no place in our country.

“This does not and will never represent who we are as Queenslanders. We will never allow ourselves to be intimidated by people who seek to spread hate like this. Never.”

— Mohammad Alfares

3:03 pm August 11, 2024

Local hero award winner labels Hamas terrorists 'freedom fighters'

Staff writers

https://www.instagram.com/p/C8V3F9eJYIw

A Victorian public servant, who recently won an Australian of the Year award for being a local hero, has described Hamas terrorists as “freedom fighters”.

Betul Tuna, described by the Australian of the Year organisation as an “instrumental” figure in supporting local and international communities, has claimed that when “the colonisers label a terrorist, historians will declare freedom fighters”.

The Turkish Muslim-Australian, who works for the state government in child protection, shared the comments on her Instagram account this week following the death of Ismail Haniyeh, the former political leader of Hamas.

Ms Tuna has become a prominent pro-Palestinian activist in Melbourne and recently shared a photo of a protester wearing a jumper with the words “intifada revolution” painted across the back during a rally in the CBD.

The award recipient also shared a series of photos with signs that read “resistance is justified when people are occupied” and “Palestine resistance = existence”.

Despite the posts, Ms Tuna was awarded the 2024 Victorian Local Hero award for her commitment to humanitarian and community causes.

— Mohammad Alfares

2:59 pm August 11, 2024

All refugees are screened before entering Australia: Burgess

James Dowling

ASIO chief Mike Burgess has assured Australians all Palestinians entering the country are screened, after Peter Dutton called for universal biometrics testing of Gazan refugees.

Speaking earlier today on ABC Insiders, Mr Burgess said biometrics were “part of the process” but not an effective security measure on their own.

“For all immigration, including when you're balancing humanitarian needs, security checks are critically important,” Mr Burgess said. “Of course there might be times when they didn't get referred to us in time. Once we become aware of them, we're able to do the assessments and deal with them effectively.”

“Biometrics testing is so we know who you are and can look you up in a database. That can be part of the process; it's effective as long as that identity is in a database somewhere.

“If they're not the database, then the biometrics testing gives you nothing other than a biometrics tag you can use later.”

The ASIO chief said that those issued humanitarian visas were free to support Hamas provided they didn’t subscribe to a violent ideology.

“(If) they don't have an ideology or support for violent extremism ideology, then (rhetorical support of Hamas) is not a problem,” he said.

“If they're giving financial support or material aid, that can be a problem and obviously we take each case on its merits and context with the information we have before us.”

2:53 pm August 11, 2024

War in Gaza not 'root cause' of rising terror threat: Burgess

James Dowling

ASIO chief Mike Burgess says the war in Gaza is not the “root cause” of Australia’s rising terror threat, and it has not been the motive for any recent charges of extremist violence, despite being divisive.

Speaking earlier on ABC Insiders, Mr Burgess said Australia faced “far more antisemitism … than Islamophobia” after the October 7 attacks, but both forms of discrimination now constituted large portions of ASIO’s caseload.

“There was far more anti-Semitism in this country than Islamophobia but we have both today. I don't think it should be a race of which one is more important. Because they're both harmful, threatening, intimidating and terrible for the people on the receiving end of it,” he said.

“After 7 October, we did not raise the national terrorism theft level. We (Australia’s national security bodies) were communicating with each other about it, but (no one) advocated or conducted an act of terror.”

“Gaza itself is not the root cause or singular cause of raising the (terror threat) level, but Gaza has driven division in our society. It's a highly emotive issue.”

Mr Burgess said that the rising diversity in motivations for extremism did not mean Australia had moved away from concerns of religious extremism.

“Religiously motivated (violence) is still the dominant force but not the only one,” he said.

“The reason why we raised the threat level this time is because we're seeing more ideologies.”

The upcoming federal election will be “a focal point” for threats against politicians, Mr Burgess said.

11:48 am August 11, 2024

Labor aiming to bring in universal childcare: PM

James Dowling

The Labor government aims to institute universal childcare, Anthony Albanese says.

Appearing on the Women’s Agenda podcast, the Prime Minister said a commitment to accessible childcare across cities and regions was a cornerstone of the government’s progress towards higher productivity and educational performance.

It comes after he announced a 15 per cent rise across the board for early childhood educators.

“I want universal access to childcare and early education to be a legacy that we leave,” Mr Albanese said, “We are putting in place these steps (to do that).”

“Most Australians, what we want overwhelmingly is for our children to have a better life than we had. It’s something my mother wanted for me.”

The PM argued progression towards universal childcare, namely through recent reform, was a key policy area in the Albanese government’s push for gender equity.

“The gender pay gap in Australia has remained really sticky,” Mr Albanese said.

‘This is a part of my government's commitment to gender equity, but it will also be so good for families

“It will be, as well, good for the economy, as we know for workforce participation and productivity and other measures.”

In June, Mr Albanese began circling universal childcare as a policy aspiration for his government. The Australian Financial Review reported on Friday he aimed to bring in universal access by the middle of a second potential term.

11:04 am August 11, 2024

Wong condemns IDF strike in Gaza

James Dowling

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has condemned the IDF strike on the Al-Tabaeen school, estimated to have killed at least 80 people.

“Innocent Palestinians cannot continue to pay the price of defeating Hamas,” Senator Wong said on Twitter/X. “Israel must comply with international humanitarian law.”

“Australia condemns the deaths of civilians from Israel’s strike on Al-Tabeen School.

“We again call for an immediate ceasefire.”

The school had been a safe haven for displaced Palestinians in northern Gaza, with Israeli military officials alleging Hamas operatives were coordinating attacks from the school.

The airstrike was condemned by US, Egyptian and Qatari officials overnight.

10:16 am August 11, 2024

Mine closure '21st century colonialism': McKenzie

James Dowling

Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie has called the closure and protected status of the Jabiluka uranium mine a “classic case of twenty-first century colonialism”.

At the NSW Labor Conference in July, Anthony Albanese announced Jabiluka, the world's biggest untapped uranium source, will be closed off and made part of Kakadu National Park. Mining had been opposed for decades by traditional owners due to the cultural significance of the area.

“We want to see economic empowerment, particularly for marginalised Indigenous Australians and that means all options on the table to actually grow well-paying jobs in the Northern Territory,” Senator McKenzie said on Sky News.

“The government is now wanting to shut those opportunities down.

“It should be a bright future for Jabiluka and the Territory's uranium deposits, instead once again Albo is picking ideology over practical solutions.”

Senator McKenzie said the Albanese government was also moving towards a blanket ban on livestock farming.

“No matter where you look, we’re seeing agriculture under attack,” she said. “The endgame, I think, really is the end of livestock production more generally in this country.”

10:12 am August 11, 2024 Highlight

'At least three' countries caught interfering in Australia: ASIO

James Dowling

ASIO chief Mike Burgess has indicated at least three foreign countries have been caught interfering in Australian domestic affairs, including Iran.

In February 2023, former Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil informed the public of an Iranian surveillance plot foiled by ASIO.

Speaking on ABC Insiders, Mr Burgess indicated he could only identify Iran as a driving force behind foreign interference because it had been made public by Ms O’Neil.

“I'm not in the business of actually (identifying) a whole range of countries other than to tell your audience there's more than one country,” Mr Burgess said.

“I can think of at least three or four that we have actually actively found involved in foreign interference in Australian diaspora communities.

“Some of them would surprise you, some of them are also our friends.”

In the wake of Australia’s rising terror alert level, Mr Burgess said there is a rising “permission” for violence, labelling social media the “greatest accelerator of violent extremism”.

“The trouble with the internet is it's the greatest incubator of violent extremism and social media … is the greatest accelerator of violent extremism,” he said.

“Politically motivated violence now joins espionage and violent extremism as our majority concern.”

Mr Burgess pointed to the UK riots following the Southport stabbing as an indication of unplanned and spontaneous acts of political extremism, but said Australia was “probably not” prone to mass rioting on the same scale.

“(It is) deeply concerning what we have seen in the United Kingdom at this point in time. Could we see that at the scale that we're seeing in the UK – probably not,” he said.

“The drivers, though, driving that activity in the United Kingdom are similar to the drivers that have resulted in us raising the national threat level here in Australia.”

The security chief also condemned the Iranian ambassador’s labelling of Israel as "the Zionist plague", as he called again for restraint in political rhetoric.

“I don't think most of them (politicians) actually deliberately seem to use inflamed language that will generate tension and potential violence,” he said

“We all need to watch our language because there is a direct connection between inflamed language and inflamed tension and violence.

“It's unhelpful if you're using analogies or weapons designed to hurt people, of course. The Iranian ambassador to Australia, what a classic – terrible example of actually inappropriate, unacceptable language that can actually drive violence in our society.”