Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move a motion relating to the Prime Minister's failure to be upfront and accountable with the parliament and the Australian people in relation to when he became aware of a planned mass casualty terror attack against Sydney's Jewish community as circulated.

Leave not granted.

Pursuant to contingent notice standing in my name, I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent me moving a motion to provide for the consideration of a matter—namely, a motion to give precedence to a motion relating to the Prime Minister's failure to be up front and accountable with the Parliament and the Australian people in relation to when he became aware of a planned mass-casualty terror attack against Sydney's Jewish community.

This is a matter of national security, and that is why it is incumbent on the Senate to suspend standing orders in order for us to debate exactly why the Prime Minister is failing in his No. 1 priority to the Australian people. The Prime Minister has been asked some very simple questions, questions that, unlike what Senator Wong says, go to 'law enforcement investigation and are prejudicial to it'. They merely go to the date—the date upon which he was notified. Now, the reason we need to suspend standing orders is because it is a first priority of a government to ensure the national security of both Australia and its people.

We have had in this country the exposure of something that could have been a mass terrorist event against the Jewish people, and the Prime Minister has failed in every regard when it comes to reassuring the Australian people and advising them. I'm starting to wonder if he, quite frankly, was ever advised of this event, a mere date. Senator Wong, when in opposition, used to frequently say to us on this side of the chamber, 'The minister has an obligation as the Minister representing the Prime Minister to be accountable to this chamber', and the coalition will not tolerate these baseless claims. Well, quite frankly, it is incumbent upon this chamber to interrogate why the Prime Minister is providing us with baseless claims.

The contrast, of course, is Premier Minns, the Labor Premier of New South Wales. He was asked when he was briefed. He didn't hide behind his ministers. He didn't hide behind the excuse of being prejudicial to any law enforcement investigation. In fact, he showed leadership, and he actually made sure the people of New South Wales understood: 'I'm in charge. I'm in control. I know what I'm doing.' And why did he do that? Because I'm assuming he understood that a matter of national security—a potential terrorist event; explosives intended for a synagogue—was something he needed to reassure the people over.

Contrast that, however, with our Prime Minister. You've got to hear the answers the Prime Minister gave in question time today. They were, again, obfuscation. They were an embarrassment. They were hidey. This is the man that was elected by the Australian people—on the preferences of the Greens, of course—to lead this nation. You have, potentially, a mass terrorist event in this country. We are not asking the Prime Minister to compromise the operational details. We would not do that. But I tell you what we are asking the Prime Minister on behalf of the Australian people—do you have any idea what is going on? Not only that; it's not just the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has an attorney-general. I want to know what the Attorney-General was doing. The Prime Minister has a Minister for Home Affairs. I'm sure the Australian people would like to know what the Minister for Home Affairs knew and when. And, if they did know, why didn't they tell the Prime Minister? All we have seen to date is a prime minister who is trying to hide behind a claim of confidentiality.

The Prime Minister needs to start thinking very carefully. He should not use a claim of confidentiality on national security as an issue when it suits him, because he was exposed today in the question that Senator Paterson put to Minister Wong, as the representative of the Prime Minister. When it suits the Prime Minister, he will tell the Australian people when he has been briefed. He will tell the Australian people when the National Security Committee of the cabinet has been briefed. But, on this, he's playing politics. He refuses to tell the Australian people the simple detail of when he or his government knew about this sickening incident.

As I said, Senator Wong, when in opposition, used to make it very clear that these types of questions needed to be answered. Guess what? Your words are now coming back to haunt you, and the Australian people will not tolerate the obfuscation and hiding by the Prime Minister. (Time expired)