Subjects: Wakeley Church terror incident; Bondi Junction tragedy; the rise of anti-Semitism in Australia; Labor’s environmental law reforms; Senate Select Committee on Supermarket Prices; Justice Lee; the Prime Minister’s cost of living crisis; Labor’s energy policy shambles; Liberal Party’s candidate for TangneThank you very much for being here today.
E&OE.
Australians were shocked and horrified by the stabbing last night of Bishop Emmanuel at the Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley in Western Sydney. We obviously wish the Bishop a speedy and full recovery. I want to acknowledge the parishioners at the church who went to the aid of the Bishop, and, obviously, their bravery should be acknowledged.
I want to say thank you very much to the police who were in attendance. It was obviously a volatile situation, and the police themselves suffered injury and damage to police vehicles and property. As we know, violence of any form is not to be tolerated.
I also want to make it very clear that an act of violence in a place of worship is completely unacceptable in our country. It doesn’t matter whether you disagree vehemently with a Priest or with an Imam, with a Rabbi, with any person – violence is never the answer. The alleged perpetrator here obviously is in police custody, and the police and ASIO will have other comments in relation to that.
I’ve written to the Prime Minister this morning, offering the full support of the Coalition on any issues that the Government might think need to be addressed in the aftermath of the tragedy that we saw in Bondi, that we’ve seen in Western Sydney last night. I have also asked for a briefing from the Director-General of ASIO and the Australian Federal Police Commissioner in relation to these matters, and the current threat level, as it currently operates in Australia.
We should also send our thoughts and prayers again to those who are still in hospital, some in the intensive care unit off the back of the horrible, horrible circumstances at Bondi on the weekend. We wish all those people a speedy recovery as well. The trauma of those families who have lost loved ones is something that we just can’t contemplate, and I want to make sure that every assistance is provided to them is, as I know it is.
I also met yesterday with people from the Jewish community in Melbourne and spent time with members from that community. We know that the incidents of anti-Semitism in our country is up over 700 per cent, and that those community members are really feeling fearful in their own communities. These are Australian citizens. We’ve got armed guards at synagogues, people are worried about congregating at places of worship and at supermarkets, etc.. So, it’s a volatile period, and you can understand the anxiety that Australians will be feeling, particularly trying to explain what’s happening in our country, in the last week, to young children.
What we know is that Australia is a peaceful country. We’ve never had civil conflict as part of our history, and we don’t want it part of our present or our future. People come from all parts of the world to our country, and we’ve been an incredible success story. If people have differences, if they have differences of opinion, if they disagree or agree with people, it needs to be done in a respectful way – and we need to remind ourselves of that.
I want to acknowledge the leaders within the community who have stood up and called for calm – particularly from younger people – and that is a very important message for those younger people to heed. I also want to acknowledge the work of Dai Le and of Frank Carbone, both whom I’ve spoken to this morning, and acknowledge that they are very strong and powerful leaders in their local community and their words should be heeded by people in those communities.
I’m very happy to take any questions.
QUESTION:
Would you say that the war in Gaza is making terror incidents – like what we’ve seen – more likely in Australia?
PETER DUTTON:
Well, that’s really a question for Mike Burgess. As we know, the Director-General looks at the intelligence that’s collected here in Australia, but also the intelligence that they collect overseas, including from our partners, including, as you know, Israel is a trusted ally and has provided intelligence to us in the past, which has thwarted terrorist attacks against Australian interests. Importantly, most importantly, against, those targets against men and women wearing the Australian uniform.
So, that’s a question ultimately for the Director-General of ASIO. But I’d make this point: we need to make sure that in our country, we don’t bring problems from around the world. We have a peaceful country, we celebrate it every week, and particularly, in places of worship –they are sacrosanct – and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a church or whether it’s a synagogue, whether it’s a temple, whether it’s a mosque. These are places of holy worship, and they should be respected as such.
QUESTION:
What more can be done to reduce knife crime? And would you like to see states introduce tough stop and search laws?
PETER DUTTON:
Well, I know some of the Premiers are talking about that at the moment. That’s an issue for the Premiers. If they think the laws need to be tightened, then of course, we would support that, and if there are laws that need to be changed or tightened at a federal level, then we would certainly offer bipartisan support to sensible reforms that the Government has to put on the table as well.
QUESTION:
Just on Bondi, the Prime Minister has made some comments this morning about a French citizen who confronted the attacker with a bollard, and said that he is welcome to stay in Australia for as long as he wants. That’s been interpreted as him offering him a permanent citizenship. Is that something – is that how you interpret it and is it something that you would support?
PETER DUTTON:
Yeah look, I support the Prime Minister’s generous offer. We are an incredible success story, and we shouldn’t be afraid of wanting people to come to our country who are the best people. When you look at those images of that young tourist or young French citizen, standing at the top of the escalator with the bollard, putting his own life at risk to protect others, he embodies the Anzac spirit. We would want people of that character in our country. So, I think it’s a good call by the PM and very happy to support it.
QUESTION:
Are there specific federal laws that you think need changing in relation to knife crime, or places of worship, or other, or is it more of a routine offer of support?
PETER DUTTON:
Again, we’ll have a discussion with the AFP Commissioner, with the Director-General of ASIO, and we can ask the question about whether there are elements that need to be addressed, but at the moment there are none that are obvious, but we’re willing and we stand ready to support the Government.
I think the offer of bipartisanship support at the moment is important, and I’ve expressed that in my letter to the Prime Minister today, that we stand shoulder to shoulder with the Government to provide reassurance to the Australian public at the moment, who off the back of Bondi, what we’ve seen in Western Sydney and what the Jewish community is experiencing at the moment, I think people would expect us to take that stance and we do.
QUESTION:
What’s your reaction to the violence outside the church last night that saw officers injured?
PETER DUTTON:
Well, again, it should be condemned. There’s no place for violence against police officers, or against anybody. There’s obviously a high level of emotion, that’s understandable in the circumstances, but to take that out on police is not acceptable, and nobody would tolerate that. The police, as we saw in the Bondi tragedy, rush into that circumstance. In the case of Bondi, we know that the actions of that Police Inspector, she literally saved lives. We don’t know how many, but certainly lives were saved as a result of her actions and others within the shopping centre, the bravery exhibited by young store attendants, the medical response –applying pressure to puncture wounds, etc. all of that is quite remarkable. You never know how you’d react in the same circumstance, but the stories that we’ve heard so far and no doubt many more that come out, will be something that we can be proud of. When you look at the way that the parishioners reacted last night to rush to the aid of the Bishop, saved his life, and again, they should be commended for having done that.
QUESTION:
Tanya Plibersek’s standing up pretty much about now and announcing what the Government’s doing with their environmental law reforms. They’re splitting – they’re going to put legislation in the next few weeks for the EPA, and sort of put a lot of the rest of it on the backburner. Is it reasonable to split them up in this way? Would you like to see the rest of the plans, even though they’re not being introduced? And how will you go about deciding how to vote on this?
PETER DUTTON:
Well look, I think it’s obvious that the secrecy that shrouded this process is of great concern, it’s of concern to stakeholders. If it’s so great and it’s such a good bill, why be so secretive about it?
It’s an anti-WA bill because it will act against the interests of WA. It’s anti-mining, it’s anti-development. We already know that it takes about 16 years to get a mine approved, which is just beyond ridiculous. The processes need to be condensed, not expanded out. This essentially, as it’s been explained to me – this Nature Positive Bill – will be the death of mining. No wonder people in WA are absolutely aghast at what Tanya Plibersek’s proposing.
I mean, Tanya Plibersek might be after a legacy bill, and she might be after a bill that wins her votes in inner city Sydney and Melbourne against the Greens, but the people of WA shouldn’t have to pay this big a price because it’s WA revenue that’s at risk. It’s jobs in WA at risk – and Tanya Plibersek is obsessed with fighting off the Greens in her seat of Sydney and in Anthony Albanese’s seat of Grayndler – but the people of Western Australia shouldn’t have to pay the price for that political outcome for people on the east coast, in inner city seats.
QUESTION:
Who explained that to you? Who have you been talking to on this?
PETER DUTTON:
Oh, I think I’ll reserve that. Obviously, a number of people have engaged and there are many people here in WA who are deeply concerned about what it is they’ve learnt in relation to this process. Let’s see what Tanya Plibersek has – is she being honest? The non-disclosure agreements that we’re seeing people sign at the moment is obviously a Mark Dreyfus special, because in the other area of religious discrimination, which is under negotiation at the moment, you’ve got Imams, you’ve got Bishops, Archbishops, you’ve got Priests and others, Rabbis, who have had to sign non-disclosure agreements in relation to that issue, as they have in relation to this one. It’s quite remarkable. If it’s a secret process, well, why? I mean, is it commercially sensitive to be talking about religious discrimination? I wouldn’t have thought so. Is it market sensitive? No evidence of that. Is there a national security risk here? Well, of course there’s not. This is a Government trying to divide and conquer. The secret, tricky processes that Tanya Plibersek has operated here – there’s a reason for that, because the bill is not in the best interests of our country.
We live in a precarious economic period – you look at what’s happening in the United States and look at what’s happening in Europe. Interest rates are likely not to fall this year, unfortunately for many families and small businesses. People at the moment can’t take another blow to the economy. This Government’s already introduced 1970s-style industrial relations changes, which will make it much harder for businesses to succeed. We know that in manufacturing, there’s a three-fold increase in the number of manufacturers who have closed their doors over the course of the last two years under this Government – another blow to the economy, particularly here in WA, which is the economic powerhouse of our country. I don’t know why the Government would be going down that path.
QUESTION:
Just on the Inquiry into supermarkets. The Woolworths CEO has been threatened with sanctions during the Senate Inquiry for repeatedly failing to answer questions about profits. What did you make of his performance?
PETER DUTTON:
Well look, I haven’t seen the footage. But from what has been explained to me, you’ve got the Greens grandstanding again and trying to hijack a process, which is actually about trying to find answers to questions that people are legitimately asking about why they’re paying more and more at the checkout when they go into the supermarkets.
I think one of the reasons is that the Government’s renewables only energy policy has driven up the cost of energy, not just for households, but for every supplier, including farmers. To run their cold rooms now is costing double under this Government, to fuel their tractors is costing more. We know that diesel is over $2 a litre, we know that people who are manufacturing the packaging products, the glass products, etc., all of that is being driven up because of the energy cost increases. All of that is ultimately passed on through higher prices when you pay for your groceries at the checkout.
So, there are many legitimate questions to ask, but if this is just a political media stunt by the Greens, then that’s not going to be of any help to families whatsoever.
QUESTION:
In the wake of the Lehrmann verdict, are you hopeful it will encourage more victims of sexual assault to come forward? And are you glad that Justice Lee said that the allegations pursued by the media of a cover up were not substantiated?
PETER DUTTON:
Well, I think Justice Lee should be congratulated for his judgement. I listened to part of it yesterday, and I’ve seen some of the reporting today. He’s obviously a first-class operator. I’ve had the great pleasure of meeting him only on one occasion. He’s a particularly impressive individual, and it should restore faith, if there was a doubt in faith, of our judicial system and what operates there. It’s obviously a highly complex, sordid affair and I think Justice Lee has gone through it with a fine tooth comb. He’s made judgements and comments in relation to a number of matters and I don’t know whether those matters are going to be the subject of an appeal, but that may or may not be the case and probably best to leave any other commentary until that process has run its course.
QUESTION:
Has Linda Reynolds and her office been vindicated?
PETER DUTTON:
Well, I think Linda Reynolds has absolutely been vindicated. She’s a first-class individual, a person of great honour and integrity. Her reputation has been besmirched, and she’s right to pursue the matter in the way that she is. I would have thought off the back of the judgement yesterday, people would be looking to settle the matter against Linda Reynolds, and issuing a full apology to her for the way in which her reputation has been tarnished.
QUESTION:
Just back on the Sydney incident. We obviously heard police and the ASIO say that it was religiously motivated, but they haven’t gone into details. In the interests of reassuring the community, do you think that they should explain, perhaps, which religion or what particular motivations? And also, does it give you any pause for thought about the remarks that you made last week regarding Port Arthur?
PETER DUTTON:
Well, first point, I think as we saw with the Commissioner and the Director-General this morning, this is obviously an incident that’s just taken place. As Mike Burgess pointed out, they’ll be looking at other points of influence on this young 16 year old who’s alleged to have committed the offence last night. All of that will run its course. I understand the desire for information and everybody wants all of the facts straight away, but the police will have to investigate and collate all of that information. We’re lucky the Bishop wasn’t murdered last night. The parishioners and the support that they provided was instinctive, and it should be recognised and really praised – and good on them.
In relation to the second question, the point I was making – which has been conflated obviously by some of the left-wing trash media – the point that I was making was that at the time of John Howard’s leadership, there was a strong response which changed the course of our country’s history for the better. He stood up and he implemented the gun laws, and that was to his great credit. The response from the Prime Minister – in relation to October 7 and the fear that’s being experienced by the Jewish community now, particularly off the back of what we saw on October 9 on the steps of the Opera House and what we saw at Caulfield and elsewhere – it was pathetic, to be honest. To see Australians living with that fear at the moment is truly horrible. We wouldn’t tolerate people from the Indian community, from the Muslim community, from the Chinese community, from the Catholic community, from the Anglican community, from the atheist community being treated the way that the Jewish community is being treated at the moment. People are being cancelled, they’re being kicked off boards, friends that they’ve got are disassociating themselves. Why? I mean, these people are Australian citizens, they’re of Jewish heritage or Jewish faith. Where else would we tolerate this sort of discrimination in our country? They’re Australian citizens, and the rule of law applies to everybody equally. To treat people from the Jewish community at the moment, the way in which they’re being treated, is truly appalling. I think the Prime Minister should have shown stronger leadership in condemning the acts because to allow a level of anti-Semitism in any form, of any nature, is completely unacceptable. We should have zero tolerance for it. The leadership that John Howard demonstrated when he was Prime Minister, I think stands in contrast to where the Prime Minister was on that issue.
QUESTION:
Mark Wales, who’s your – the Liberal candidate with the best chance of winning a seat from Labor…
PETER DUTTON:
And a great and a fantastic candidate – Mark Wales.
QUESTION:
…he used his first speech as a candidate to support J.K. Rowling on gender identity. Do you expect trans issues and gender issues to be an issue he’ll push in the upcoming federal election?
PETER DUTTON:
Well look, there are all sorts of issues that people will comment on because their constituents have raised these issues with them. Whether you agree or disagree with particular issues, it’s right for candidates to listen to and to understand, to represent the views of all their constituents. I think that’s important.
I think the more important point that I’d make is that Mark is somebody – like Andrew Hastie, like Phil Thompson, and others – who served their country with great distinction. I think we have an exceptional candidate in Mark Wales. I think he would be a great member of Parliament. He’s obviously passionate about the great state of Western Australia. I’m pretty sure that the constituents of Tangney will see that very quickly as well.
So, there’s a lot of work to do, but I think, when you go out and talk in the community, the biggest issue still that people are raising is the cost of living. Every price under this Government has gone up and it’s going to continue to go up because their energy policy is driving business offshore, it’s resulting in a loss of jobs, a loss of economic productivity, people are paying more for petrol, they’re paying more at the supermarket, they’re paying more for their insurance premiums, they’re certainly paying more for their mortgage each month. This Prime Minister promised before the election, don’t forget, that interest rates would be lower under a Labor Government, that mortgages would be cheaper. It’s just a complete nonsense. I think a lot of people can see through the Prime Minister on those sort of false promises. The $275 promise to reduce power prices has never been mentioned again by the Prime Minister, and as we saw, he’s not a person whose word you can take at face value in relation to the tax cuts.
So, I think a lot of issues will play out here in Western Australia over the course of the next 12 months or so, and I’ll be back very, very regularly, as I have been so far and indeed over the last 20 years.
So, great to be back. Thank you for being here today.
Thank you.
[ends]