CHRIS UHLMANN:
Tony Abbott, what do you say to the people of Australia this morning after yesterday’s operation which saw so many police involved in that kind of action?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, really three messages, Chris. First, the Government will do whatever we humanly can to keep our community safe; second, that yesterday’s operation was about crime, it was about potential terrorism, it wasn’t about any particular religion or community; and third, the best thing people can do in the face of a terror threat here in Australia is go about normal life, because the whole point of terrorism is to scare people out of being themselves.
CHRIS UHLMANN:
You say it’s not about any particular community, but obviously the people involved are Muslims and the Muslim community this morning is feeling as though it’s being isolated.
PRIME MINISTER:
I certainly don’t want to isolate any community. I want to wrap up the extended family of the Australian nation in an embrace. That’s what I want to do because we are all in this together and frankly we would all be the victims of any terrorist attack here in Australia and that’s why it’s so absolutely important that we do whatever we can to prevent it from happening. I’m very encouraged by the fact that the overwhelming majority of Australian Muslims are enthusiastic about Australia. They’re committed to our country and they have no truck whatsoever with the misguided fanatics, with the bloodthirsty extremists who we’ve seen on our screens in the Middle East and who regrettably do include at least 60 Australians.
CHRIS UHLMANN:
Was 870 police over the top?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, it was what our experts believed was necessary to ensure that these raids were properly executed.
CHRIS UHLMANN:
Now, you’ve been briefed overnight – can you tell us more? Will there be more charges? Are there more threats?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, certainly there are ongoing investigations. One very, very serious charge has been laid. A number of people remain in detention and investigations are ongoing. And look, the message from yesterday is that the Government of Australia, that all of the Governments of Australia, will do absolutely everything we can to keep our community safe and where we have evidence of a likely terrorist event, we will act with great determination and decisiveness to nip it in the bud.
CHRIS UHLMANN:
Are you aware that there’s been chatter about an attack on Parliament House and is security there being beefed up?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes, there certainly has been chatter amongst the terrorist support networks of an attack on Government and Government people and Parliament House has been specifically mentioned. As a result, a week or so back there was an urgent review of security at the national Parliament and subsequent to that we are placing the Australian Federal Police in charge of security, not just outside the building, but inside the building as well.
CHRIS UHLMANN:
In the light of that then it makes the decision earlier this year to downgrade security at Parliament House look pretty daft.
PRIME MINISTER:
Once we were aware that there was the prospect of Parliament House being specifically targeted, we acted swiftly.
CHRIS UHLMANN:
This is the largest counterterrorism operation in history. Both the AFP and the New South Wales police say it’s a good result. So, why do you need more and better powers for the police and for ASIO? Why aren’t the powers that they have at the moment enough?
PRIME MINISTER:
Some of the powers that they have sunset in about 18 months’ time and that’s why there is legislation currently before the Parliament to extend those powers. There’s legislation that will shortly come before the Parliament to boost the range of offences. As you know, it’s not always easy to prove that someone has been engaged in terrorist activity overseas. It’s often very hard to get witnesses, as you can imagine, Chris. So, we’ll be strengthening offences in this area.
The other thing, as you know, is that we want to ensure that the telecommunications providers continue to keep so-called metadata and can make that available to our police and security agencies because this is a priceless tool in the fight against crime, including terrorist crime.
CHRIS UHLMANN:
Well, the Liberal Democrat Senator David Leyonhjelm says he’s concerned about Section 35K of the Bill and says that it’s so broad that it might allow torture.
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, the last thing anyone wants to see is Australians lose their freedom in the fight to preserve freedom and I’m confident that we can manage these things. I am very confident that we can manage these things and just at the moment, I am determined to err on the side of keeping our community safe.
CHRIS UHLMANN:
Well that particular provision says that someone would have immunity from liability. A participant in a special intelligence operation is not subject to any civil or criminal liability in relation to conduct, if the conduct does not involve the participant engaging in any conduct that will cause death or serious injury. So that’s pretty broad isn’t it?
PRIME MINISTER:
Certainly the whole point of torture is to cause injury in some way, shape, or form. It might be psychological injury, but it’s certainly to cause injury and the Australian Government resolutely opposes the use of torture.
CHRIS UHLMANN:
Now, you’re heading off to the United Nations shortly to discuss Australia’s involvement in the international force. What is the outcome that you’re looking for? Are you looking for a very well defined mission?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well there is a very clear mission which has already been well articulated by President Obama, and that is to disrupt and degrade ISIL operations in Iraq and as far as the Americans are concerned, potentially in Syria as well. So that’s the mission – to disrupt and degrade ISIL operation.
CHRIS UHLMANN:
Two last brief things, will you then commit to report back to Parliament on how this mission is going as the Labor Party wants?
PRIME MINISTER:
Certainly there’ll be regular updates to Parliament, one way or another. I’ve already made one parliamentary statement on our potential commitment to combat operations inside Iraq. There’ll be a security statement to the Parliament this coming Monday and should Australian forces commit to combat operations – a likely prospect – there’ll be obviously a further statement to Parliament then.
CHRIS UHLMANN:
Finally, you interrupted your visit to Arnhem Land this week. You had hoped to govern there for the entire week. Are you going to go back to complete your visit?
PRIME MINISTER:
Under the circumstances, I think it is going to be difficult to go back again today as I had hoped and I’ll be talking to Galarrwuy Yunupingu shortly just to let him know. But I did have five pretty solid days up there and I’m very grateful for the hospitality that the Yolngu people showed me and I’m pleased to have honoured that commitment.
CHRIS UHLMANN:
Prime Minister, thank you.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you, Chris.
[ends]