Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Macnamara for the question. The answer goes, quite specifically, to issues around the arson attack against the Adass Israel Synagogue in his electorate.

In October, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett announced who the Australian Federal Police's No. 1 priority was. She has not given him a name—nor have I—but his name has appeared in the media. He is an alleged offshore offender, who Australia had rightly deported, who posed a national security threat to our country. Referred to as Person No. 1, he was living offshore. Having been deported, he thought he was out of reach. But he was not out of reach and is now locked up in Iraq. This person has come up in investigations with respect to the illicit tobacco trade, violent and dangerous crimes, and other crimes in Australia, and he came up during investigations as having suspected links to the firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue.

After announcing him as Person No. 1 of priority for the Australian Federal Police, the AFP worked with a number of agencies to investigate the offender. The commissioner had one-on-one conversations with law enforcement and principals about the alleged offender. Late last year, the Australian Federal Police provided information to law enforcement officials around the world, specifically in Iraq, about this alleged offender. The Australian Federal Police has been using all its capability, partnerships and networks to help ensure that this person faces the justice system. The person was announced as the AFP's No. 1 priority in October and was locked up in Iraq by January. Iraqi officials made an independent decision to arrest the alleged offender, following their own criminal investigation, after they'd received information from Australia. He thought he was out of reach and he was not. He's now in custody in Iraq.

I've been repeatedly asked: does Australia have an intention to extradite him to make him face the full force of the law here in Australia? I'll be frank. He was deported because we don't want him here. We want him locked up. If the outcome is that he is out of Australia and behind bars, I view that as the best outcome we could have.

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