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| ABC says allowing former terrorism suspect on Q&A was an 'error in judgment' | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The ABC says it made an “error in judgment” in allowing a former terrorism suspect to ask a question from the Q&A audience, after he accused the Coalition MP Steve Ciobo of giving Australian Muslims an incentive to go to Syria to join Islamic State. | |
| The exchange between Ciobo, the parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs and trade, and Zaky Mallah, who was charged with terrorism offences in 2003, overshadowed earlier debate about the government’s plan to strip the Australian citizenship of foreign fighters with dual nationality. | |
| “In attempting to explore important issues about the rights of citizens and the role of the government in fighting terrorism, the Q&A program made an error in judgement in allowing Zaky Mallah to join the audience and ask a question,” Richard Finlayson, the director of ABC television, said in a statement on Tuesday morning. | |
| “Mr Mallah has been interviewed by the Australian media on a number of occasions. The environment of a live television broadcast, however, meant it would not be possible for editorial review of the comments he might make prior to broadcast, particularly if he engaged in debate beyond his prepared question.” | |
| The incident was now under review, Finlayson said. | |
| In 2005 Mallah was acquitted of two terrorism offences but pleaded guilty to threatening to kill Asio officials. | In 2005 Mallah was acquitted of two terrorism offences but pleaded guilty to threatening to kill Asio officials. |
| Related: Tony Abbott close to winning over cabinet and Labor on citizenship laws | Related: Tony Abbott close to winning over cabinet and Labor on citizenship laws |
| Ciobo and Mallah engaged in heated conversation on Q&A after Mallah posed a question about his court case and how it would have been different had a minister decided the outcome. | |
| Ciobo replied that he wasn’t familiar with the circumstances of Mallah’s case “but I’m happy to look you straight in the eye and say that I’d be pleased to be part of a government that would say you are out of the country, as far as I’m concerned”. | Ciobo replied that he wasn’t familiar with the circumstances of Mallah’s case “but I’m happy to look you straight in the eye and say that I’d be pleased to be part of a government that would say you are out of the country, as far as I’m concerned”. |
| “Rubbish,” said Mallah, adding: “As an Australian I would be happy to see you out of the country.” | “Rubbish,” said Mallah, adding: “As an Australian I would be happy to see you out of the country.” |
| Mallah later said: “The Liberals now have justified to many Australian Muslims in the community to leave and go to Syria and join Isis because of ministers like him.” | |
| Q&A’s host, Tony Jones, labelled the comments “out of order”. | Q&A’s host, Tony Jones, labelled the comments “out of order”. |
| “I stand by what I said,” Ciobo said in response. “Best as I know your circumstances, the comments you’ve made, the threats you’ve made that you’ve pleaded guilty to, to me more than justify the concerns the government has. I think it’s very wrong for you to portray the Muslim population as all being incentivised to do those things.” | “I stand by what I said,” Ciobo said in response. “Best as I know your circumstances, the comments you’ve made, the threats you’ve made that you’ve pleaded guilty to, to me more than justify the concerns the government has. I think it’s very wrong for you to portray the Muslim population as all being incentivised to do those things.” |
| Earlier the MP said the government was trying to stop people leaving Australia to fight with Islamic State, and the proposed legislation was aimed at those who “slipped through the net” and committed acts “no different to the old act of treason”. | Earlier the MP said the government was trying to stop people leaving Australia to fight with Islamic State, and the proposed legislation was aimed at those who “slipped through the net” and committed acts “no different to the old act of treason”. |
| “If someone is a dual citizen we do not want them back in Australia and we’ll revoke their citizenship,” he said. “Labor wants to bring them back in Australia and I presume … to go through a criminal court process or something like that, and that is the fundamental point of difference.” | “If someone is a dual citizen we do not want them back in Australia and we’ll revoke their citizenship,” he said. “Labor wants to bring them back in Australia and I presume … to go through a criminal court process or something like that, and that is the fundamental point of difference.” |
| Jones sought to confirm the proposed laws were for people who had gone overseas to fight and would not be used to “banish” someone accused of terrorism in Australia. | Jones sought to confirm the proposed laws were for people who had gone overseas to fight and would not be used to “banish” someone accused of terrorism in Australia. |
| “To be honest I would be happy to do that,” Ciobo replied. “I would be supportive of that effort as well.” | “To be honest I would be happy to do that,” Ciobo replied. “I would be supportive of that effort as well.” |
| On Tuesday morning Ciobo reiterated his support. | |
| “In the case of that individual last night, frankly if they’re a dual citizen and they’re in Australia, I think we should get rid of them if they’re engaged in terrorist activities,” Ciobo told Sky News. | |
| Ciobo said Mallah’s subsequent tweets, including the statement: “the majority of the #qanda audience tonight was pro Libs and pathetic. I would pay to see that Minister dumped on #ISIS territory in Iraq!” demonstrated he was a “sick individual”. | |
| Joel Fitzgibbon, Labor’s agriculture spokesman, said 0n the program he did not believe a conviction should be necessary for citizenship to be taken. He said a lot of people were wondering if it was better to leave accused terrorists “over there to do bad things” or to bring them back to Australia. | |
| “We support the principle the government of the day, the minister, with judicial review, should have those tools available to him.” | “We support the principle the government of the day, the minister, with judicial review, should have those tools available to him.” |
| Fitzgibbon said Labor had no difficulty with the idea of stripping citizenship from accused terrorists and denying them the chance to re-enter Australia if that was the advice of security agencies. | Fitzgibbon said Labor had no difficulty with the idea of stripping citizenship from accused terrorists and denying them the chance to re-enter Australia if that was the advice of security agencies. |
| When questioned by Ciobo, he clarified he was not saying there had to be a conviction. Fitzgibbon later said he was “more open to pushing the envelope on civil liberties” if it meant saving one life, once government legislation had gone through parliamentary review and been accepted. | When questioned by Ciobo, he clarified he was not saying there had to be a conviction. Fitzgibbon later said he was “more open to pushing the envelope on civil liberties” if it meant saving one life, once government legislation had gone through parliamentary review and been accepted. |
| The Q&A panel also featured the US anti-poverty campaigner Linda Tirado, the advertising director and author Dee Madigan, the political strategist and John Howard’s former chief of staff Grahame Morris, and the Antony and the Johnsons singer Antony Hegarty. | The Q&A panel also featured the US anti-poverty campaigner Linda Tirado, the advertising director and author Dee Madigan, the political strategist and John Howard’s former chief of staff Grahame Morris, and the Antony and the Johnsons singer Antony Hegarty. |
| Hegarty earlier argued with Ciobo about statistics showing growing inequality in Australia after the MP dismissed the findings of Monday’s Australian Council of Social Services report as “a classic example of lies, lies and statistics”. | Hegarty earlier argued with Ciobo about statistics showing growing inequality in Australia after the MP dismissed the findings of Monday’s Australian Council of Social Services report as “a classic example of lies, lies and statistics”. |
| Ciobo said other reports showed a high median wealth in Australia. He said the report “focuses on particular things and I think we could focus on other areas”. | Ciobo said other reports showed a high median wealth in Australia. He said the report “focuses on particular things and I think we could focus on other areas”. |
| Hegarty also clashed with Morris, who spoke in favour of uranium and other resource mining, saying: “Not everyone wants a bloody big windmill in their backyard. Nuclear energy is clean.” | Hegarty also clashed with Morris, who spoke in favour of uranium and other resource mining, saying: “Not everyone wants a bloody big windmill in their backyard. Nuclear energy is clean.” |
| Related: Antony Hegarty, the Martu and the mine: land custodians fight corporate might | Related: Antony Hegarty, the Martu and the mine: land custodians fight corporate might |
| The singer replied: “We’d be happy to dig a uranium mine in your backyard.” | The singer replied: “We’d be happy to dig a uranium mine in your backyard.” |
| “That’s not the point,” Morris said. Hegarty argued that it was and that Morris was “utterly deluded”. Hegarty then accused him and his “cronies” of “padding their pockets”. | |
| The topic of uranium came up in a question about native title rights not giving communities enough freedom to say no to mining companies but both government ministers confessed they were not sure what the Native Title Act allowed. | The topic of uranium came up in a question about native title rights not giving communities enough freedom to say no to mining companies but both government ministers confessed they were not sure what the Native Title Act allowed. |
| Hegarty has been in Australia supporting the Martu people from the Pilbara with an art exhibit about their battle with an approved mine at Kintyre, inside the Karlamilyi national park. | Hegarty has been in Australia supporting the Martu people from the Pilbara with an art exhibit about their battle with an approved mine at Kintyre, inside the Karlamilyi national park. |
| “Some corporations have disingenuously sought to divide and conquer locals, and in the dust cloud of confusion, make off with the spoils,” she told Guardian Australia last week. | “Some corporations have disingenuously sought to divide and conquer locals, and in the dust cloud of confusion, make off with the spoils,” she told Guardian Australia last week. |