Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has called on Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke “to front up and explain his secret meetings about bringing former ISIS members back to Australia.”
Her comments come after leaked documents revealed Burke had met twice this year with an advocacy group supporting the ISIS brides and their children, and had also received an offer of help from the U.S. government to repatriate them.
This comes despite Burke previously claiming he had not assisted in advocacy efforts.
In September, two women and four children returned to Australia after allegedly smuggling themselves into Lebanon from Syria. Around 40 people are still believed to be in refugee camps.
The Save the Children organisation has long pushed for the return of the women and children, who are either Australian citizens or eligible for citizenship.
It has also been reported the U.S. government had offered to assist in getting the group home, once Australia organised passports.
The latest revelation has angered the opposition because of Burke’s public statements that he had not been involved in advocating for their return.
“In September, I asked the Prime Minister directly whether his government helped facilitate their return,” Ley said on X.
“He denied it. Tony Burke denied it, too. But the facts now show the government was not honest.”
Ley questioned whether Burke had informed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of his actions.
“Did he say nothing? Did he mislead him? Or did the Prime Minister know and still mislead the Parliament?” she said.
“At a time when national security demands total clarity and absolute trust, Australians are being left with shifting stories, unanswered questions, and a government that will not level with them.”
“ISIS brides” is the term given to the women who travelled from Western countries to parts of the Middle East held by the Islamic State terror group between 2013 and 2016.
While some women joined their partners, others were matched with fighters after arrival.
Shadow Home Affairs spokesman Jonathon Duniam said Burke had covered up direct intervention in the matter.
“It’s like asking someone were they at the shop at 6 p.m. and they say ‘no, I wasn’t,’ but the truth is they were there at 6:01 p.m.. This is the splitting of hairs here,” he told 2GB Sydney.
“The fact he had this meeting, then asked the note taker from the department to leave so they could have a frank discussion, and then of course as we know, hand-written notes by his department secretary referring to TB, which can only really be Tony Burke, [show] there will be a commitment to find a way to help these people.”
The Epoch Times contacted the Department of Home Affairs for comment.
In a statement provided to AAP, Burke said the government was not involved in extra efforts.
“There was a request from Save the Children to conduct a repatriation operation,” he said.
“It was refused. Public servants did what they were legally obligated to do and no more.”
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