One of New South Wales most senior police officer’s had doubts the Dural caravan plot was a terrorist threat from the “very early stages of the investigation”, but says that theory was not completely ruled out until 21 February.
The deputy police commissioner, David Hudson, confirmed during a dramatic budget estimates hearing that police briefings to the government about the caravan found laden with explosives on the outskirts of Sydney would have not “categorically” said if the plot was a terrorist threat or criminal plot.
But the government was informed that it was being “treated at its highest” and both lines of inquiry were being investigated.
He later confirmed the police minister, Yasmin Catley, was told last Friday it was a criminal plot, ahead of the police revealing to the public on Monday it was a “con job” that was not ideologically motivated and was orchestrated by organised crime figures to distract police and influence prosecutions.
The police also revealed that 14 other incidents in recent months – which included an attempted arson attack on one synagogue and the graffiti of another – were also believed to be coordinated by “a very small group” or “potentially one individual”, and those who had been arrested so far had no ideologically motivations.
Hudson filled in the gaps of who knew what when after Catley repeatedly refused to answer questioning by the opposition, Greens and independents to provide more detail on when she became aware it could be a ruse, and if that was before the Minns government rushed through controversial legislation designed to stem antisemitism.
Hudson confirmed, under questioning from independent Rod Roberts, police ruled out the prospect the caravan plot was a terrorist threat on 21 February. This was the same day the parliament passed the government’s hate speech legislation.
Hudson had indicated to the public the police were investigating whether or not it was a “set-up” the day after the plot was first revealed.
After the caravan was discovered in Dural with a note that had a list of Jewish targets, Catley, and the premier, Chris Minns, labelled the incident as a terror event.
Asked by the Greens spokesperson for justice if the pair were made aware that was not the case before the controversial hate speech laws passed parliament, Catley would not respond, arguing she did not share her high-level police briefings with “anybody”.
Catley said that the legislation did not specifically relate to that event and was drafted to respond to “hateful crimes” that had occurred for months in Sydney, with the Jewish community increasingly feeling terrorised.
In response, Higginson pointed out that the caravan plot and the 14 people arrested by the police operation tasked with investigating hate crimes were not ideologically motivated, according to police. She asked why the public wasn’t informed of that.
“Well, that has now been disclosed,” Catley responded.
Catley continued to be grilled over who knew what when by Liberal MP Susan Carter, the shadow assistant minister for the attorney general. Catley maintained it was her duty as police minister to not disclose confidential briefings, however Carter pointed out: “I am not asking you for confidential details. I’m asking you for details that are no longer confidential.”
“Well they were confidential and I’m not sharing them with you,” Catley responded.
It was not revealed in the hearing when the premier or minister became aware that the 14 other incidents were not ideologically motivated and were allegedly orchestrated by organised crime figures.
The police confirmed again during the hearing that the Newtown Synagogue was one of the 14 supposed antisemitic incidents that were not motivated by antisemitism or racial hatred but was “tasked by others”.
The Greens MP for Newtown, Jenny Leong, released a statement shortly after saying this was consistent with a briefing she received from police in January.
“It is not beyond belief that Labor would have received a similar briefing,” Leong said.
