Dutton ‘conned' by fake terrorism caravan plot and ‘played into hands of crime figures', Burke says
The Australian federal police revealed on Monday the explosives-laden caravan found earlier this year in the outer Sydney suburb of Dural was a 'fake terrorism plot'. The AFP deputy commissioner, Krissy Barrett, said investigators now believed the caravan incident was concocted by criminals who wanted to cause fear for personal benefit.
After the revelation, Burke took to X to criticise Dutton, saying he 'played directly into the hands of organised crime figures' before going further in comments to the media on Monday evening.
'The other person, though, who was conned in all of this and whose recklessness has caught up with him today is Peter Dutton,' Burke said.
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'His recklessness has caused him to make claims about national security which are now demonstrably untrue time and time again. Mr Dutton, without seeking a briefing, simply asserted a large-scale planned terrorist attack.'
Burke also called on Dutton to apologise to the public, for the 'consequences' of his claims on the attack.
'Peter Dutton owes a pretty big apology to the Australian people. He made claim after claim which is now demonstrably untrue.'
Barrett said the 'twisted self-serving criminality [of the fabricated terrorism plot] has terrorised Jewish Australians'.
'What organised crime has [allegedly] done to the Jewish community is reprehensible and it won't go without consequences.'
Police told the media Strike Force Pearl officers arrested 14 people, and conducted 11 search warrants, on Monday as part of their investigations into antisemitic attacks across Sydney. Police said none of those arrested were directly linked to the caravan plot.
Earlier, cabinet minister Murray Watt said the government 'welcomed' the findings.
'I think even though the police have found there wasn't a real risk to public safety I don't think we can underestimate the psychological harm that [it] created for the Jewish community,' he told ABC's Afternoon Briefing.
The shadow home affairs minister, James Paterson, also wrote on X that 'organised crime concocting terrorism plots targeting the Jewish community is an extremely serious matter'.
'National security ministers & the PM should have been promptly briefed, as the NSW Premier was. The government must now explain whether they were, & if not, why not.'
The Coalition has consistently tried to push the prime minister to reveal when he was briefed on the caravan plot.
The AFP commissioner, Reece Kershaw, was asked by the opposition about the timing of briefings during Senate estimates in February. At the time he said it was inappropriate to comment as investigations were ongoing.
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