Home Affairs Minister accuses Peter Dutton of avoiding briefing

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The political fallout has hit Canberra with the Opposition Leader accused of whipping up a political storm over the caravan plot while declining the offer of security briefings.

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00:00The year began with a string of anti-Semitic attacks, raising the political temperature.

00:12Then news broke of a caravan terror plot and the opposition pounced, demanding the Prime

00:17Minister reveal what he knew and when.

00:20What was believed to be the biggest planned terrorist attack in our country.

00:27But two months after that discovery, a twist.

00:31The terror plot was in fact an elaborate hoax.

00:34This time the government is openly saying it knew, but was waiting for police to confirm

00:39it.

00:40To get in the way of an operation from the police would have been deeply, deeply irresponsible.

00:47That's the label it's now pinning on Peter Dutton, accusing him of willful ignorance.

00:52We were publicly saying he should get a briefing from the Australian Federal Police.

00:56Peter Dutton made a decision to avoid the Australian Federal Police.

01:00It's just crass politics being played out by a cheap politician.

01:03The opposition requested two briefings from security agencies in January.

01:08One was specifically about the caravan plot.

01:10Mr Dutton didn't attend, leaving it to his frontbench colleagues.

01:15Today he's sought to turn the spotlight back on Labor.

01:18I think the Prime Minister needs to answer questions about when he was advised of this

01:22being a hoax.

01:23This is part of the Coalition's strategy to pitch itself as a stronger or more decisive

01:27option for voters.

01:29And the next test it's set for the Prime Minister is how he deals with Donald Trump.

01:34The US President is due to slap tariffs on steel and aluminium imports tomorrow.

01:39As the deadline nears, the government's increasingly pessimistic about its chances of securing

01:45an exemption.

01:47The last Prime Minister to secure a car vote warns it'll be harder this time around, describing

01:52Mr Trump as an erratic bully.

01:54I mean, are we just going to become, you know, just a conga line of sycophants, telling him

02:00he's a genius?

02:01You know, look, it's ludicrous.

02:04His latest critique didn't go unnoticed.

02:07The US President taking to social media to blast Malcolm Turnbull as a weak and ineffective

02:12leader.

02:13I think the concentration at the moment should be on the current Prime Minister.

02:17Urging him to pick up the phone to the President.

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