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| Turnbull accuses Victorian premier of 'abdicating responsibility' over parole proposal | Turnbull accuses Victorian premier of 'abdicating responsibility' over parole proposal |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Malcolm Turnbull has accused the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, of “abdicating responsibility” for the safety of the public for his suggestion that federal agencies should make parole decisions in cases involving terrorist suspects. | Malcolm Turnbull has accused the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, of “abdicating responsibility” for the safety of the public for his suggestion that federal agencies should make parole decisions in cases involving terrorist suspects. |
| Nevertheless Turnbull said he would consider the proposal ahead of the Council of Australian Governments meeting on Friday, at which the federal government will push for states to adopt uniform parole laws including for attorneys-general to have final sign-off on parole of people with links to terrorism. | |
| Turnbull sparked the debate over parole on Tuesday by questioning how the Melbourne gunman responsible for the Brighton attack, Yacqub Khayre, was allowed out on parole given that he had been in prison for a violent offence. | Turnbull sparked the debate over parole on Tuesday by questioning how the Melbourne gunman responsible for the Brighton attack, Yacqub Khayre, was allowed out on parole given that he had been in prison for a violent offence. |
| On Wednesday, Andrews put the ball back in the federal government’s court, announcing he would take his own plan to Coag proposing the federal government take control of parole decisions for prisoners on the terror watch list. | On Wednesday, Andrews put the ball back in the federal government’s court, announcing he would take his own plan to Coag proposing the federal government take control of parole decisions for prisoners on the terror watch list. |
| “I want Asio, the Australian federal police not just to be providing advice, but to be directly involved in any decision to grant parole to anybody on that watch list,” Andrews told the ABC. | “I want Asio, the Australian federal police not just to be providing advice, but to be directly involved in any decision to grant parole to anybody on that watch list,” Andrews told the ABC. |
| “They are, after all, experts. This is not a state-based issue. This is a national issue.” | “They are, after all, experts. This is not a state-based issue. This is a national issue.” |
| On Sunrise, Andrews said the plan would involve “the extraordinary step of referring our state’s authority for those on the terror watch list to the commonwealth government”. | On Sunrise, Andrews said the plan would involve “the extraordinary step of referring our state’s authority for those on the terror watch list to the commonwealth government”. |
| In a later interview with 3AW Radio, Turnbull said parole boards should take into account “known risks or associations with terrorist or extremist activities” before granting parole and promised greater information-sharing. | |
| Asked whether the federal government would accept referral of parole powers from Victoria as proposed, Turnbull said “I’m certainly prepared to discuss it with the premier”. | Asked whether the federal government would accept referral of parole powers from Victoria as proposed, Turnbull said “I’m certainly prepared to discuss it with the premier”. |
| “But what he’s really saying is – he’s proposing to abdicate responsibility for the safety of Victorians to the federal government. | “But what he’s really saying is – he’s proposing to abdicate responsibility for the safety of Victorians to the federal government. |
| “And I have to say that I think Victorians would say the decision to grant parole to a prisoner in a Victorian jail on a Victorian criminal offence should be taken by the Victorian government.” | “And I have to say that I think Victorians would say the decision to grant parole to a prisoner in a Victorian jail on a Victorian criminal offence should be taken by the Victorian government.” |
| Turnbull said he wanted to ensure people with Khayre’s characteristics – a history of violence and connections to extremism – were not be let out on parole unless the state attorney general gave final sign-off. He said that would ensure “real responsibility” for parole decisions. | Turnbull said he wanted to ensure people with Khayre’s characteristics – a history of violence and connections to extremism – were not be let out on parole unless the state attorney general gave final sign-off. He said that would ensure “real responsibility” for parole decisions. |
| “The parole board can make a recommendation and give advice, but ultimately the buck has to stop with the elected ministers, with the government.” | “The parole board can make a recommendation and give advice, but ultimately the buck has to stop with the elected ministers, with the government.” |
| In a further bid to politicise recent terrorist attacks, One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, has written to the prime minister calling for police and security agencies to be given powers “to effectively target those on terror watch lists before they become violent”. | |
| “Stronger action needs to be taken on migrants and refugees who come to the attention of Australian security forces. | |
| “Those on watch lists who are not Australian citizens need to be deported and those who are, interned to neutralise their possible harm to this country.” | |
| She also called for a ban on Muslim migration or a Donald Trump-style ban on migration from certain countries with Muslim majorities. | |
| Yacqub Khayre was released on parole last November, six months before he took a Colombian woman hostage at a serviced apartment block in Melbourne, killed a worker and shot three police officers. | Yacqub Khayre was released on parole last November, six months before he took a Colombian woman hostage at a serviced apartment block in Melbourne, killed a worker and shot three police officers. |
| Khayre had a lengthy history of violent crime and drug use and had been assessed as having gloomy prospects for rehabilitation and a high chance of reoffending. | Khayre had a lengthy history of violent crime and drug use and had been assessed as having gloomy prospects for rehabilitation and a high chance of reoffending. |
| In an interview on 3AW the chairman of Victoria’s parole board, Peter Couzens, said the board had released Khayre on the corrections department’s recommendation. | |
| Couzens said the board was aware of Khayre’s terror charges but was not told that he was on a terrorist watch-list when they released him or subsequently. | |
| Couzens read a letter sent in May by a “federal counter-terrorism organisation” seeking Khayre’s contact details to return property to him from a “counter-terrorism investigation”. He said this letter, sent months before the incident and after the parole decision, was the only correspondence the board received from a federal agency. | |
| “You would have thought if the federal authorities were concerned about this person as a risk, they’d be more concerned about that than returning property to him.” | |
| Andrews denied the Brighton attack indicated any broader problem with the extremists being released on parole. He said 20 Victorians were currently undergoing deradicalisation programs, and none were in the community as parolees. | Andrews denied the Brighton attack indicated any broader problem with the extremists being released on parole. He said 20 Victorians were currently undergoing deradicalisation programs, and none were in the community as parolees. |
| On Tuesday, Andrews said his government would look at its parole laws “very closely” to see if any changes were needed but said Victoria already had “the toughest parole review system anywhere in Australia”. | On Tuesday, Andrews said his government would look at its parole laws “very closely” to see if any changes were needed but said Victoria already had “the toughest parole review system anywhere in Australia”. |
| On Tuesday night, the attorney general, George Brandis, proposed that states and territories should change parole laws to create a presumption against release for those who had previously faced terror allegations. | On Tuesday night, the attorney general, George Brandis, proposed that states and territories should change parole laws to create a presumption against release for those who had previously faced terror allegations. |
| “I think the public are entitled to expect the people who present that level of danger to the public and who have a terrorism background, there should be a presumption against bail or parole except in a very clear case,” Brandis said. | “I think the public are entitled to expect the people who present that level of danger to the public and who have a terrorism background, there should be a presumption against bail or parole except in a very clear case,” Brandis said. |
| Andrews said he was happy to “look at the detail” of Brandis’ proposal. | Andrews said he was happy to “look at the detail” of Brandis’ proposal. |