Lighting Sydney Opera House in Israel flag ‘trumped security concerns’, says Chris Minns
NSW Premier Chris Minns has conceded that lighting the Sydney Opera House in the colours of the Israel flag ‘trumped security concerns’.
NSW Premier Chris Minns has conceded that lighting the Sydney Opera House in the colours of the Israel flag “trumped security concerns”, with the opposition on Wednesday accusing him of “staggering incompetence”.
Mr Minns was grilled in budget estimates on NSW Police’s “concerns” about his decision to light the Opera House on Monday October 9.
The Australian revealed on Tuesday how internal police emails revealed senior-ranking officers were worried the move could “escalate tensions”.
A pro-Palestine rally on the same night descended into anti-Semitic slurs and hate speech.
Mr Minns said the decision “trumped security concerns”, and that a government couldn’t be hamstrung by fear of retaliation from “triggered” community members.
“It was important to show solidarity to our Jewish community,” he said.
“I don’t want to live in a society where when you light a landmark in the colours of an ally’s flag, there’s a threat from people who may be triggered, which prompts us to not make that decision.”
However, Opposition Leader Mark Speakman questioned why the police’s concerns weren’t relayed to Mr Minns.
“It’s staggering incompetence to make a captain’s call that he didn’t think through, didn’t arrange a risk assessment or have proper steps in place,” he said.
Mr Minns said he “regretted” the risk didn’t register with him.
“I made an error, it should have crossed my mind – I wouldn’t let it (the rally) happen again,” he said. Although on leave, Mr Minns – reading from his call log from that Monday – said he had 11 conversations with his chief of staff, seven with Multiculturalism Minister Steve Kamper, but only a single conversation with Ms Catley.
The Premier’s calls do not include those between departmental staff that happened during that afternoon in the lead-up to the rally.
It can also be revealed that, according to the internal police emails, the cabinet office had sought to be included in any correspondence before and during the rally – a request declined by police.
Otherwise, estimates was a “what’s what” of the flashpoints of Mr Minns’s tenure.
Shadow Treasurer Damien Tudehope pushed for clarity on Labor’s small-grants program, a teachers’ pay rise, allegations of “jobs for mates” and the sacking of minister Tim Crakanthorp.
The small-grants program earmarked $400,000 for each electorate before March’s state election but was a closed process, with unsuccessful Labor candidates able to designate funding to organisations of their choice – its “probity” was questioned by Mr Tudehope.
“It’s not a probity issue but a policy question,” Cabinet Office general counsel Kathryn Boyd said.
“Grants can be an open or closed process ... both are legitimate pathways.”
Mr Minns said he was “reluctant to offer commentary” on whether Mr Crakanthorp – who was dumped from the ministry for not disclosing the full extent of his family’s properties – would be dropped from the caucus.
He also dismissed the notion he was “very close friends” with Transport Secretary Josh Murray, whose appointment had been subject of accusations he was installed given his ties to minister Jo Haylen and the Premier.
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