Senator Penny Wong ducks Coalition grilling over Dural caravan terror plot

Tempers have flared between furious Liberal senators and the government over when the Prime Minister was briefed on the potential Dural caravan terror plot filled with explosive, with the Opposition blasting the government’s refusal to name the date as a “cover-up”.

The fresh blow-up hit a Senate hearing on Monday afternoon, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong repeatedly ducking attempts from Liberal senators James McGrath and Michaelia Cash to find out the specific date Anthony Albanese was informed of the discovery of the caravan in Dural in Sydney’s northwest.

The Prime Minister has to date refused to reveal when he was briefed by authorities after the discovery of the caravan on January 19, nine days before it was first reported by The Daily Telegraph on January 29.

This is despite NSW Premier Chris Minns publicly stating he was briefed by NSW Police on January 20.

On Monday afternoon, Senator Wong told the committee she would not directly answer questions in relation to the foiled plot, instead taking them on notice and arguing she was acting on advice from national security agencies.

“There is an ongoing investigation,” she said.

“Our first priority is to ensure those investigations are completed and if there are individuals or entities that need to be apprehended, that occurs.

“We’re very cognisant of the advice the AFP has provided.”

Cash pressed Senator Wong on why the PM had previously advised the public when he had been briefed on national security matters, for example in relation to the Wakeley church stabbing attack in July last year, but had so far refused to do so on the Dural plot.

Senator Wong said she would not respond to the questions after receiving advice from AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw.

“I appreciate you have determined a political strategy and you will execute it,” she said.

“I have received advice and listened to advice from the commissioner.”

Tempers quickly flared, with Senator Cash calling government’s response a “cover-up”.

“Quite frankly, the prime minister is actually looking weak now in the eyes of the Australian public,” Senator Cash said.

At one point, Senator Wong claimed Senator Cash had “verballed” the prime minister.

Senator McGrath then jumped in and repeated Senator Cash’s claim of a “cover-up”.

Senator Wong said the senators were trying to use “particular phrases” to “try and get up on social media.”

Senator McGrath said Senator Wong was running a “protection racket” for the PM.

The heated back-and-forth followed a similar line of questioning from the morning.

Senator Wong’s opening statement to the committee elicited laughs and gibes from opposition senators.

“The government has been clear that this is a matter for the Australian Federal Police to determine what information is appropriate to disclose when there is an ongoing investigation,” she said.

“I’m conscious that this is a public hearing and not an appropriate forum for us to provide information relating to an ongoing investigation.”

Senator Cash said in reply that NSW Premier Chris Minns had already provided the details of when he was informed.

“What is the issue with merely providing the date upon which the Prime Minister was briefed given that, again, Premier Minns in NSW was prepared to be held publicly accountable by the people of NSW and the people of Australia,” Senator Cash said on Monday morning.

“The issue we now all have is it is becoming more and more apparent that the Prime Minister was kept in the dark, and the leader of our nation was actually not told until the matter became public.

“How does it compromise the ongoing investigation by merely stating when the Prime Minister was advised unless he wasn’t, and maybe that’s what you’re actually covering up.”

In response, Senator Wong accused Senator Cash of being “quite dramatic”.

“You are well known for being quite dramatic in the things that you say to some effect, but what I’m saying to you is I’m simply relying on the evidence that you were aware of before you walked into this hearing and before you wrote to me, which is the evidence given to another parliamentary committee on precisely the same issue,” Senator Wong said, referring to a public hearing fronted by Commissioner Kershaw two weeks ago.

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s deputy secretary for international and security Graham Fletcher also confirmed he consulted with the AFP, Home Affairs and the Attorney-General’s department last week.

The AFP said questions related to the Dural incident should be taken on notice.

The question of when Mr Albanese was briefed also popped up in a hearing probing department officials from Home Affairs.

Coalition home affairs spokesman James Paterson had asked officials why the Labor leadership could reveal when they were briefed about two high profile terror incidents last year, but not the caravan plot.

“Each incident has its own unique circumstances. No two are ever the same,” Home Affairs deputy secretary Nathan Smyth said.

Referring to the stabbing of an Assyrian Orthodox priest, Mr Smyth pointed out that the attack was live-streamed on YouTube, meaning much of it was already public knowledge.