Opposition leader Peter Dutton has called on Australians to report their friends and family to intelligence agencies or the police if they change their thoughts on the government.
Mr Dutton made the comments in an interview with Sky News host Laura Jayes, who asked him about Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) boss Mike Burgess on Monday warning of an increased risk of terrorism.
“We saw the terror threat raised to Probable yesterday. But there are multiple fronts now. One of those fronts that I found most interesting has come out of Covid,” Ms Jaye asked.
“Thereโs the conspiracy theorists, the anti-vaxxers, who are finding support in dark corners of the internet. What does this say to you about โ and I know we can all be perfect in hindsight, Covid was unprecedented โ but what does it say to you about government overreach, and government, essentially, controlling peopleโs lives and the effects that that can have?”
๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ก๐ง๐ฆ ๐๐๐ข: Opposition Leader Peter Dutton responds to the question: โ๐๐๐๐ผ๐ ๐ธ๐๐ด ๐ถ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐๐ต๐๐ฅ ๐ช๐ โ๐ช๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ช๐๐ฉ๐ก, ๐ฃ๐ข๐ต ๐ธโ๐ข๐ก ๐๐ฐ๐๐ด ๐ช๐ก ๐ ๐ข๐ฆ ๐ก๐ฐ ๐บ๐๐ถ ๐ข๐๐ฐ๐ข๐ต ๐๐๐ท๐๐ณ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฏ๐ก ๐๐ท๐๐ณ๐๐ฆ๐๐คโ ๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ก๐ฉ๐โฆ pic.twitter.com/3yLM8j0WOH
โ Australians vs. The Agenda (@ausvstheagenda) August 6, 2024
Mr Dutton responded by agreeing that government overreach during the pandemic had a “huge mental impact on young people” and laid the blame for much of that on former premier Dan Andrews and his lockdowns in Victoria.
But he then added: “None of that, though, should give rise to the sort of conduct that youโre referring to.
“I would say to anybody in our community, whether itโs within your friendship group, your family group, the work group, whatever it might be, where you see somebodyโs behaviour changing, regardless of their motivation, or if theyโve changed radically their thoughts about society and government, etc., you need to report that information to ASIO, or to the Australian Federal Police as a matter of urgency.”
Mr Dutton was heavily criticised for his comments, with fast fiction author John Goddard saying: “I love this new version of democracy where you get reported to the police if you donโt like the government.”
Another social media user called Aussie Phil wrote: “At this stage, if you don’t oppose government, you are a traitor, a coward or both.
“Government is meant to serve the people, even the ones that don’t want a big bloated globalist controlled government.
“My conservative views are not extreme, they are similar views to my ancestors that built this great nation.”
Dean Anderson said: “We are now entering the dark days of the USSR. Opposed to the government ? Dob in your neighbours.”
Mr Burgess said on Monday that the terror threat had been raised after eight incidents in the past four months were deemed terrorism, investigated for terror links, or were prevented by ASIO.
Intelligence sources have said all eight were alleged perpetrated by young men aged 14 to 21, including the alleged Islamic terror attack on Orthodox Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel in April.
“Politically motivated violence now joins espionage and foreign interference as our principle security concerns,” Mr Burgess said.
“Anti-authority beliefs are growing, trust in institutions is eroding, provocative, inflammatory behaviours are being normalised.
Mr Albanese added: “Governments around the world are concerned about youth radicalisation, online radicalisation and the rise of new, mixed ideologies.”
Other factors cites as leading to alleged radicalisation and the raising of the threat level include social isolation, COVID-19, conflict in the Middle East and the high cost of living and housing.
Mr Dutton is just back from a controversial trip to Israel which was criticised by Australians from across the political spectrum.
