Tony Burke Says Dutton ‘Unfit’ For Office After Being ‘Conned’ By Caravan Hoax

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is facing intense criticism after police confirmed the explosives-laden caravan was orchestrated by organised crime figures to manipulate public fear. 

Dutton ‘played directly into the hands of organised crime figures’

This morning on ABC News Breakfast, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke accused Dutton of mindlessly amplifying the threat without verifying the facts, suggesting that Dutton should apologise for misleading Australians and heightening fears unnecessarily. 

“The revelations this afternoon about the incident in Dural show that Peter Dutton has played directly into the hands of organised crime figures who have been trying to profit from dividing our community,” said Burke.

“He chose — quite deliberately — that he wanted to make sure he could continue to make the most outrageous claims. He wanted to make sure that he could stoke the most fear,” he continued. “And in doing so, he was running the exact script that organised crime wanted him to run.”

“There are real consequences if you’re not responsible with national security and if he had to make a choice between self-promotion and national security, I’m pretty disappointed in the path that he chose.”

AFP Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the incident was a “criminal con job” designed to manipulate public fear.  

This incident has also led to concerns over government transparency.

Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson questioned why Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was not promptly briefed on the situation, pointing to the Prime Minister initially calling the incident “the very definition of terrorism.” 

Dural caravan hoax followed wave of other antisemitic crimes

This controversy follows a wave of antisemitic attacks across Sydney. NSW Police’s Strike Force Pearl officers arrested 14 people and conducted 11 search warrants. Police said none of those arrested were directly linked to the caravan plot. 

The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip condemned those behind the hoax and stated they “took advantage of rising antisemitism for personal benefit”. 

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus echoed the concerns, warning that the event caused widespread fear and division.