Latest news with #DuralCaravanPlot
ABC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Tensions flare as senior NSW political staffers who risked arrest grilled at Dural caravan inquiry
Tensions have flared between the NSW premier's top adviser and an opposition MP in a highly anticipated appearance before an inquiry into the Dural caravan plot and the criminalisation of hate speech. Five New South Wales political staffers began giving evidence on Friday morning, one week after they risked arrest for failing to appear. The staffers include the premier's chief-of-staff James Cullen, deputy chief-of-staff Edward Ovadia and his director of media and communications Sarah Michael. The police minister's chief-of-staff Ross Neilson and deputy chief-of-staff Tilly South are also appearing. The inquiry is examining what the senior political staffers knew about the "terror" plot, which police later determined to be a criminal hoax, when the government was introducing legislation to combat antisemitism. Liberal committee member Susan Carter questioning Mr Cullen about what support his boss had offered in relation to the inquiry. A tense exchange ensued between the MP and the staffer, with both talking over each other. "Look, you can fight with the question or your can answer it. What would you like to do?" Ms Carter said to Mr Cullen. Mr Cullen said he first learnt the caravan bomb was no longer being pursued as an act of terrorism in late February — but it is unclear whether that was before hate speech legislation passed the parliament. "Effectively there was a finalised view from police … when the AFP source was discredited on the 21st of February," Mr Cullen said. "I recall after — I think it would have been NSW Police — got legal advice confirming that at that point they couldn't pursue terrorism charges … not long after that getting — might have been Mr Neilson — letting me know that police had contacted the minister or the minister's office, that that had been the case." A bill criminalising the incitement of racial hatred passed the parliament on February 21, having been introduced three days earlier. "I suppose then the next step was … the press conference with the AFP and NSW Police on the tenth of March outlining the results of their investigation." The staffers were summonsed to appear at the inquiry last Friday but failed to do so, arguing "it is ministers, rather than their staff, who are accountable to the parliament". Benjamin Franklin, the president of the Legislative Council, threatened to exercise powers under the Parliamentary Evidence Act to have the staffers arrested and brought before the inquiry. The staffers argued the summonses were not validly issued and that they had "important reasons" for not appearing. They also claimed the powers of arrest under the 124-year-old law, which have never been used, were unconstitutional. Mr Franklin sought legal advice from eminent barrister Bret Walker SC, who gave an opinion rejecting these arguments, prompting the staffers to change their minds. Ms Michael denied breaking the law when she and her colleagues failed to appear last week. "You were untroubled by breaking the law?" Ms Carter asked. "It wasn't that we were breaking the law here. It's just we needed to get more advice about what our rights were," Ms Michael said. "Do you always get advice about whether a law is valid or not before you follow it?" Ms Carter said. "In this particular instance — I like to think of myself a law-abiding citizen — so in this instance, yes," Ms Michael replied. Mr Neilson said the staffers believed their non-attendance was not illegal. "We had advice that we had just cause and reasonable excuse not to attend, and therefore we wouldn't be breaking the law," Mr Neilson said. Earlier Premier Chris Minns said he had let his staff "speak for themselves". "My position on it is very well ventilated," he said at a press conference on Friday. "I couldn't be clearer about the government and my perspective, but we are where we are. "I guess my main message is that there may well be shenanigans in the New South Wales legislative council but myself, my ministers and even my staff, when they're not appearing in front of parliament committees, are actually focused on the people of New South Wales." The premier added that he understood "some people, as part of their job, will try and divert us from that".
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Dangerous': Premier slams arrest threat
NSW Premier Chris Minns has slammed the threat of arrest for five political staffers as a 'dangerous precedent' after he refused to front an inquiry into the Dural caravan bomb plot. Five staffers for Mr Minns and Police Minister Yasmin Catley risked the possibility that a warrant would be issued for their arrest after they failed to attend the third hearing of the inquiry last Friday into the relationship between the caravan plot in Sydney's northwest and the passing of strict anti-hate laws. Independent MLC and inquiry chairman Rod Roberts confirmed the staffers had since agreed to attend a special hearing of the committee on Friday during an interview with 2GB's Ben Fordham on Wednesday morning. 'As a result of the (Legislative Council) president Ben Franklin seeking legal advice from Bret Walker, one of the eminent silks in relation to constitutional law, he has ruled that the Legislative Council is in their rights … to seek arrest warrants for these people that didn't comply with the summonses,' he said. 'But, the government has capitulated now overnight (and) waved the white flag and we're going to make arrangements for a committee hearing on Friday for these five to attend.' Mr Roberts said he had received an 'undertaking' from the five staffers that they would attend the inquiry 'at this stage'. He described it is a 'very big backdown' from Mr Minns and that it was 'unprecedented that a Premier would take it to that level'. 'I don't know where he got his advice from – his legal advice – but, it's been reaffirmed by the leading constitutional lawyer in Australia that we are within our rights,' Mr Roberts said. Asked about the reversal, Mr Minns said he was 'disappointed about the circumstances' that led to his staff being summoned. 'Don't take my word for it. Listen to the chair of the committee who said the reason they're being called in is because I won't appear before the committee. 'So, in a punitive way, pulling in staffers to this upper house inquiry. 'I think that the very troubling information that staff would be arrested and held potentially overnight via police custody is a massive overreach.' Mr Minns said staff would 'make up their own minds' about whether to attend, and he was offering them support as their employer. He went on to slam the committee as 'unleashing extraordinary powers of police or the courts' on what was 'close to a kangaroo court'. 'That's a breach or a step that no one has taken in the parliament's history, and there's very good reason for that,' he said. 'Does anyone truly believe that the members of that committee, given everything that they've said prior to the committee's opening hearing, are going to be soberly assessing the information before them and making a non-political decision? 'I think they've already shown inherent bias in their approach to all of these inquiries, and they don't follow due process. 'So, I think it's a dangerous precedent for the state, but at the end of the day, we are where we are.' Mr Minns went on to accuse the committee of pushing the 'common understanding' that all anti-Semitic incidents in Sydney were related to the Dural caravan plot. Appearing later on 2GB, Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said he was 'glad' about the reversal. 'It shouldn't have come to this,' he said. 'There shouldn't have been the threat of warrants and arrests, but this is a premier and a government (that) think they're above the law. 'Just imagine if witnesses subpoenaed to court gave the bird sign to the court.' After receiving a letter on Friday afternoon regarding the staffers, Mr Franklin instructed the clerk to seek legal advice. 'This morning, I have met with Mr Brent Walker SC who has given me the benefit of his verbal advice on the matter,' he said on Tuesday. 'On the receipt of his advice in written form, I intend to table it in the House given the significance of this issue. 'In the meantime, I am considering his advice and its implications, as I tend to make a statement to the House later this week on my intended action.' The inquiry was established to determine who not what and when about the explosives-laden caravan, which police later claimed was not a terrorism plot and instead part of a criminal conspiracy. It has so far heard evidence from leading figures in NSW Police as well as government staff.
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
NSW Premier, Police Minister staffers to front Dural caravan inquiry after arrest threat
NSW Premier Chris Minns has slammed the threat of arrest for five political staffers as a 'dangerous precedent' after he refused to front an inquiry into the Dural caravan bomb plot. Five staffers for Mr Minns and Police Minister Yasmin Catley risked the possibility that a warrant would be issued for their arrest after they failed to attend the third hearing of the inquiry last Friday into the relationship between the caravan plot in Sydney's northwest and the passing of strict anti-hate laws. Independent MLC and inquiry chairman Rod Roberts confirmed the staffers had since agreed to attend a special hearing of the committee on Friday during an interview with 2GB's Ben Fordham on Wednesday morning. 'As a result of the (Legislative Council) president Ben Franklin seeking legal advice from Bret Walker, one of the eminent silks in relation to constitutional law, he has ruled that the Legislative Council is in their rights … to seek arrest warrants for these people that didn't comply with the summonses,' he said. 'But, the government has capitulated now overnight (and) waved the white flag and we're going to make arrangements for a committee hearing on Friday for these five to attend.' Mr Roberts said he had received an 'undertaking' from the five staffers that they would attend the inquiry 'at this stage'. He described it is a 'very big backdown' from Mr Minns and that it was 'unprecedented that a Premier would take it to that level'. 'I don't know where he got his advice from – his legal advice – but, it's been reaffirmed by the leading constitutional lawyer in Australia that we are within our rights,' Mr Roberts said. Asked about the reversal, Mr Minns said he was 'disappointed about the circumstances' that led to his staff being summoned. 'Don't take my word for it. Listen to the chair of the committee who said the reason they're being called in is because I won't appear before the committee. 'So, in a punitive way, pulling in staffers to this upper house inquiry. 'I think that the very troubling information that staff would be arrested and held potentially overnight via police custody is a massive overreach.' Mr Minns said staff would 'make up their own minds' about whether to attend, and he was offering them support as their employer. He went on to slam the committee as 'unleashing extraordinary powers of police or the courts' on what was 'close to a kangaroo court'. 'That's a breach or a step that no one has taken in the parliament's history, and there's very good reason for that,' he said. 'Does anyone truly believe that the members of that committee, given everything that they've said prior to the committee's opening hearing, are going to be soberly assessing the information before them and making a non-political decision? 'I think they've already shown inherent bias in their approach to all of these inquiries, and they don't follow due process. 'So, I think it's a dangerous precedent for the state, but at the end of the day, we are where we are.' Mr Minns went on to accuse the committee of pushing the 'common understanding' that all anti-Semitic incidents in Sydney were related to the Dural caravan plot. Appearing later on 2GB, Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said he was 'glad' about the reversal. 'It shouldn't have come to this,' he said. 'There shouldn't have been the threat of warrants and arrests, but this is a premier and a government (that) think they're above the law. 'Just imagine if witnesses subpoenaed to court gave the bird sign to the court.' After receiving a letter on Friday afternoon regarding the staffers, Mr Franklin instructed the clerk to seek legal advice. 'This morning, I have met with Mr Brent Walker SC who has given me the benefit of his verbal advice on the matter,' he said on Tuesday. 'On the receipt of his advice in written form, I intend to table it in the House given the significance of this issue. 'In the meantime, I am considering his advice and its implications, as I tend to make a statement to the House later this week on my intended action.' The inquiry was established to determine who not what and when about the explosives-laden caravan, which police later claimed was not a terrorism plot and instead part of a criminal conspiracy. It has so far heard evidence from leading figures in NSW Police as well as government staff.
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
NSW political staffers to appear at Durl caravan plot inquiry after being threatened with arrest warrants
Five staffers from the offices of the NSW premier, Chris Minns, and the police minister, Yasmin Catley, have agreed to appear before a parliamentary inquiry into the Dural caravan 'fake terrorism plot' after they were threatened with arrest for failing to attend last week. A senior staff member for the premier confirmed on Wednesday that they had been told by the president of the NSW Legislative Council, Ben Franklin, that he was planning to seek arrest warrants. Franklin had sought legal advice from Bret Walker SC about his powers to seek the warrants after the staffers defied summonses to appear at the upper house inquiry. They have now 'voluntarily' agreed to appear on Friday. The inquiry – launched with the support of the Coalition, the Greens and crossbench MLCs – is examining the handling of information about the caravan plot amid concerns parliament may have been 'misled' before controversial laws aimed at curbing antisemitism were rushed through parliament. In January, after it was announced that the caravan had been found, Minns said it had the potential to be a 'mass casualty event'. But in March, the Australian federal police revealed they believed it was a 'con job' by organised crime figures seeking to divert police resources and influence prosecutions. The premier and the police minister refused to appear at the inquiry before the committee sought the appearance of their staffers. Greens MP Sue Higginson, who is a member of the inquiry, also confirmed on Wednesday the political staffers would appear to give evidence on Friday. The standoff had been sparked by the refusal of Minns and Catley to appear. Ministers from the lower house cannot be required to appear before an inquiry of the upper house. Higginson said the staffers' decision to ignore the summonses 'put us all in a very difficult position'. 'We believe, as a committee … that these individuals hold information that could genuinely assist us in exercising our forensic capacity,' she told ABC radio. 'The lesson here is the parliamentary powers are strong powers. They're important powers. No one is above the law and don't challenge these powers.' Higginson was asked on Wednesday if she thought the government had misled parliament before the hate speech and places of worship laws were passed. 'There was absolutely knowledge held by some and not presented to the parliament to assist us in understanding the full picture,' she said. 'This is a democracy, and how we pass laws is a very important matter for everyone.' - Additional reporting by Jordyn Beazley
ABC News
20-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Dural caravan inquiry committee explore arrest warrants for NSW staffers over failure to give evidence
Five New South Wales government staffers face possible arrest warrants after defying a summons and not appearing before an Upper House inquiry into the Sydney Dural caravan plot. The five staffers asked to be excused from Friday's hearing in a letter, after being summonsed to give evidence about what and when the state government knew about the plot, after the caravan was found laden with explosives in January amid a spate of antisemitic vandalism. The ABC understands the committee will go to the president of the Legislative Council Ben Franklin to ask if he could request arrest warrants in the NSW Supreme Court. NSW Premier Minns had flagged the staffers — some of who worked for him — would not give evidence on Thursday, calling the inquiry into what the state government did or did not know about the alleged plot a "star chamber". At the state parliament's Macquarie Room on Friday morning, committee members waited to see if the five staffers would turn up, with their empty chairs carefully labelled. Inquiry chair and independent MP Rod Roberts said he was disappointed the witnesses had not turned up, describing it as a "very serious matter" and saying further action will be considered. "I am disappointed in the government's continued efforts to hinder and frustrate the work of this committee and ultimately the role of the legislative council to scrutinise the actions of government." Mr Roberts concluded the hearing with a short statement about the intention behind the staffers being summonsed to appear. "This committee was established to determine whether members of parliament debated and passed hate speech and protest laws through parliament based on misleading or incomplete information." During the committee, Mr Roberts revealed a letter dated June 19 undersigned by staffers and asking to be excused from appearing was received on Thursday. In the letter, the staffers said their giving evidence before the select committee would "be at odds with the principles of ministerial accountability and comity between the House of Parliament". The letter also stated that a separate parliamentary inquiry could also consider the compulsion of ministerial staff to give evidence, suggesting it infringed parliamentary privileged "or otherwise offends principles of our Westminster system of government". The letter ends with the request to be excused from the hearing. Mr Roberts told the hearing he objected to the arguments made in the letter. "It is a fundamental role of the Upper House to hold the government of the day to account." Before concluding the hearing, Mr Roberts said the witnesses scheduled to appear had failed to comply with the summons. The committee is believed to be considering its next step.
