#CommanderInGaffe – PM bumbles his way through “Allegiance to Australia” bill: @Qldaah #auspol

Blog of media reports on the “Commander-in-gaffe” story. Check back regularly for updates.

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Introduction.

(June 26, 2015)  – ASIO using Washington Post maps.

(June 25, 2015)  – Questions over maps.

(June 24, 2015)  – Abbott in ASIO bunker.

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Introduction

As his “Allegiance to Australia” legislation was about to be commended to the House, Prime Minister Tony Abbott took the opportunity to visit the headquarters of the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation for a photo opportunity. On the desk before the media were multiple maps indicating where ASIO intelligence indicated terrorist suspects were likely to emerge from in Australian suburbs.

Today the Government took an additional step to keep Australia safe. pic.twitter.com/AJ43HWAEYz

— Tony Abbott (@TonyAbbottMHR) June 23, 2015

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(June 26, 2015)  – ASIO using Washington Post maps

Is ASIO relying on the Washington Post?

• Jen Ryall reported, “Sydney – The Australian government has been busted sourcing old information. As the political hounds focused on the fact the government had potentially revealed sensitive information to all of Australia, a sharp-eyed observer spotted a funnier stuff-up.”: Australia’s spy agency caught using Washington Post map from 2014.

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(June 25, 2015)  – Questions over maps

Labor gagged

• SBS News reported, “The Abbott government has shut down a move by Labor to have parliament censure the prime minister over what it claimed was a breach of national security during a visit to ASIO headquarters.”: Labor gagged over ASIO maps censure.

PM’s message

• Shalailah Medhora reported, “Tony Abbott has attacked Labor for claiming that national security was compromised during an official photo opportunity in the security agency’s Canberra headquarters.”: Abbott denies national security threatened by Asio photo opportunity with maps.
• Andrew Greene and Dan Conifer reported, “Prime Minister Tony Abbott has accused Labor of insulting Australia’s top spies by questioning the use of terrorist recruiting maps during a media event at ASIO’s headquarters. The ASIO documents showed the Sydney and Melbourne suburbs where people who have gone to fight in the Middle East have come from.”: Tony Abbott accuses Labor of insulting ASIO by questioning use of maps during media event.
• John Kerin and Fleur Anderson reported, “Labor has demanded parliament condemn Tony Abbott for revealing sensitive information during a visit to the headquarters of Australia’s domestic intelligence agency on Wednesday.”: Tony Abbott denies facilitating ASIO security breach during ‘photo opportunity’.

ABC News 24: Tony Abbott’s message to those living in terror hotspots.

Keep it to yourself – Vic Premier

• Nine News Melbourne reported, “If Tony Abbott can’t keep confidential ASIO information to himself, Victoria’s premier reckons he should keep the media out of security briefings. Premier Daniel Andrews says sensitive ASIO briefings should be kept private after two Melbourne suburbs were revealed as ASIO’s Australian terror hotspots during a picture opportunity with the prime minister on Wednesday.”: Keep ASIO secrets safe: Andrews to PM.

PM denies security breach

Attorney-General George Brandis tells Senate he & the PM surrendered their phones prior to entering ASIO’s HQ as did all government staff

— Andrew Greene (@AndrewBGreene) June 25, 2015

PM says ASIO Boss is satisfied that no information of national security significance was visible while media representatives were present

— Andrew Greene (@AndrewBGreene) June 24, 2015

ASIO terrorism details laid bare

• Shalailah Medhora reported, “Labor has issued prime minister Tony Abbott with a please explain over how apparently classified Asio documents were filmed and broadcast during an official photo opportunity at the security agency’s Canberra headquarters. The documents contain a map that highlights the Australian hotspots where radicalisation is more likely to occur in Australia’s two largest cities. ASIO chief Duncan Lewis laid out the maps during a briefing with Abbott and justice minister Michael Keenan at an official event attended by journalists, photographers and camera operators on Wednesday.”: Classified Asio documents shown on TV during Tony Abbott photo opportunity.
• Lisa Cox reported, “Labor has demanded Tony Abbott explain how his “finely honed instincts for national security” did not tell him that maps showing terrorist recruitment hot spots were not meant for broadcast.”: Labor demands Tony Abbott explain how maps showing terrorist recruitment hotspots were filmed.
• Nine News Australia reported, “Australia’s spy chief has revealed the top suburbs for recruiting terrorists in Sydney and Melbourne in what Labor says may have been an inadvertent breach of national security.”: Labor says PM Abbott may have aided ASIO security breach.
• Mark Kenny wrote, “The Abbott government has been caught red-handed using national security, our independent police and security agencies, and the fear of terrorism itself, as tools for Liberal Party gain.”: ‘Caught red-handed’: How Tony Abbott’s national security push is being used for political gain.

This is ASIO's response when the ABC asked for a copy of the maps yesterday pic.twitter.com/rSt9eRJiyc

— Andrew Greene (@AndrewBGreene) June 24, 2015

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(June 24, 2015)  – Abbott in ASIO bunker

The “Allegiance to Australia” photo-op

• Andrew Greene reported, “Labor is demanding Prime Minister Tony Abbott explain how official documents showing terrorist-recruiting hotspots in Melbourne and Sydney were allowed to be filmed during his visit to ASIO’s headquarters yesterday.”: ASIO chief Duncan Lewis denies document detailing Sydney, Melbourne suburbs with highest terrorist recruitment was sensitive.

ABC News 24: Allegiance to Australia laws presented – Tony Abbott goes to the ASIO bunker.

Lane Calcutt reported: The legislation to strip terror suspects of their Australian citizenship is now before Federal Parliament, with Labor indicating it is likely to support the Bill..

Labor now demanding PM clarify if ASIO documents were for official use only & if he's possibly facilitated a significant security breach

— Andrew Greene (@AndrewBGreene) June 24, 2015

PM Abbott's media conference at @ASIO HQ leaks official documents to press? #auspol #RedCarpet @AndrewBGreene pic.twitter.com/okQIHE3zs6

— David Feeney (@Feeney4Batman) June 24, 2015

Sydney, Melbourne suburbs with high terrorist numbers revealed by #ASIO chief http://t.co/LjZGz20dCI @abcnews #auspol pic.twitter.com/FEDVyl3HAr

— David Feeney (@Feeney4Batman) June 24, 2015

Donate for safety campaign by Victorian Liberal Party

• Richard Willingham and James Massola reported, “The threat of terrorism is being used by the Victorian Liberal Party to solicit political donations from its members ahead of the next federal election. But the email to Liberal Party members – which calls for donations “to support a SAFER Australia” – has been lashed by the Prime Minister’s office, which rushed to distance Tony Abbott from the fundraising email.”: Victorian Liberal Party uses terror threat to raise funds for Tony Abbott.

-Ends

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