Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I heard with great interest Labor members saying that they have always been firmly committed to countering terrorism and supporting the police. Sadly, back in 2007, when I was the shadow parliamentary secretary for law enforcement, I highlighted the major cutbacks to the AFP when it came to counter-terrorism and also the Australian Crime Commission. One of the big issues I had back then was that state police were no longer getting the funding to be seconded to the Australian Crime Commission, which left it as a toothless tiger. Moving forward, tragically we have now seen terrorist attacks in the Lindt Cafe and also the awful incident outside Endeavour Hills police station where two police members were stabbed by Numan Haider, a young person who had been radicalised. It was amazing that one of them was not killed.

First of all, I congratulate the member for Holt, Anthony Byrne, who has been truly strong on the issue on countering terrorism not only in his electorate of Holt but also in La Trobe. Jointly, we have been fighting for the cause right across Victoria. Sadly, in the outer suburbs of Melbourne we have had planned attacks for Anzac Day and Mothers Day and young Australians who have been radicalised travelling overseas where they believe they are becoming martyrs by blowing themselves up to support the awful cause, the pursuit of Daesh.

One of the great concerns I also have is outlaw motorcycle gang members who are now being converted in Barwon Prison in Victoria, where we have extremists who have been convicted of terrorist related activities, patching over with the Mongrels Motorcycle Club. This is of great concern to me and to members of Victorian police. This will bring the might of the outlaw motorcycle gangs together with the extremists where anything can happen, so I strongly support the laws when it comes to dual citizens and those who are dual citizens being removed from this country. Also, when it comes to community protection intervention orders, Labor members are raising that they are opposed to kicking out dual citizens involved in terrorist related activities. Is that what you are saying?

An opposition member: I asked you if you have read the legislation.

I am supportive of when the legislation comes in, and I find it hypocritical of Labor members espousing that they are strong on counter-terrorism when they make allegations like that. The other issue I have raised is community protection intervention orders, and I am sure the Labor members—

An opposition member interjecting—

Are you saying you are not supportive of these, too? The situation is this: we now have young Australians being radicalised. To me that is a very serious issue. The situation is that we need community protection intervention orders. This is the missing gap between control orders and where police have no powers to stop young people being radicalised on social media and then going towards extremist preachers. One of the issues I have raised with Dr Anne Aly is a proposal to have what is called a MYHACK program in my electorate. This will involve a hackathon where young people engage with other young people to come up with ideas and concepts to stop them from being radicalised. We will have this program in place. I again thank the member for Holt, who has agreed to be a judge with me on this program. It will be right across the state, and this is something I greatly look forward to.

But, in contrast, I am greatly concerned about the Labor candidate in my federal seat of La Trobe. When I announced this program, in a very run-of-the-mill speech in parliament, he came out and said that it was 'irresponsible scaremongering'. Well, we have had these awful incidents with the planned Anzac Day attacks in Melbourne, the Mothers Day attack and the Lindt cafe attack and two police officers stabbed. So, for him to say that is totally irresponsible itself. He has since come out and said I made false and misleading statements. Well, he made those statements to the journalists; I did not. He is now backtracking. It just shows that he is weak on terrorism. Finally, I ask a question of the minister: Minister, what measures have we included in the budget to counter violent extremism? Thank you.

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