Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was informed about a suspected terror plot in Sydney over a week after it was foiled by police, raising concerns about a breakdown in communication between federal and state authorities.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was kept in the dark about a suspected terror plot in Sydney for over a week by NSW Police, Sky News has confirmed. The revelation has exposed a schism between Commonwealth and state authorities.A caravan was discovered on the side of the road in Dural , north-west New South Wales, on Wednesday. It had been left there for six weeks between December 7 and January 19.
Upon further inspection, the caravan was found to contain Powergel explosives, enough to cause a blast with a radius of 40 metres, and the addresses of a Sydney synagogue and Jewish buildings.On January 20, the day after the discovery, NSW Premier Chris Minns was informed of the investigation, but it took until January 29 for Mr Albanese and the national security committee of federal cabinet to be briefed on the details after the story was broken by The Daily Telegraph. On Thursday, Mr Albanese refused to disclose when he was informed of the suspected antisemitic terror plot, as he did not want to undermine the investigation still working to determine the alleged culprits. However, Sky News Political Reporter Trudy McIntosh confirmed on NewsDay the timeline was 10 days after the caravan was discovered. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was dumbfounded about why it took so long for Mr Albanese to be privy to the details. 'For the Prime Minister not to know about a terrorist attack that was in the planning is of national significance and a complete abrogation of his responsibility,' he told 7News. Former secretary of the Home Affairs Department Mike Pezzullo told Sky News the Prime Minister would always typically be briefed on all major national security inquiries, pointing out a break from convention in this case. 'Not all sensitive compartmented or undercover matters were briefed in. In fact, very rarely were they, because that's more of a policy and strategy setting committee,' Mr Pezzullo said. 'But certainly on major issues, the portfolio minister, whether it was a foreign issue with the Foreign Minister or the Home Affairs Minister with domestic security, the PM typically was told everything.' Mr Pezzullo said the lines of inquiry which emerged out of the investigation were'not questions for... a state Premier, Police Minister of a Commissioner'.'Whether it was placed there by white supremacists, anti-Semites, Islamist jihadists. That is not simply a state issue. Mr Pezzullo added while the relevant federal ministers or heads of departments could not direct the investigation, their knowledge was important in order to address the'strategic ramifications' of an event at this level.'We wouldn't cop it in a war and we shouldn't cop it when it comes to domestic terrorism or domestic political violence,' he said
TERRORISM NSW POLICE ALBANESE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STATE GOVERNMENT DURAL SYDNEY JEWISH COMMUNITY NATIONAL SECURITY
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