Anthony Albanese ‘all over the shop’ in national security blunder as Chinese ‘spy’ ship sits off exclusion zone

Anthony Albanese has come under fire for his “inexperience” when it comes to Australian national security amid fears a Chinese research ship is gathering data in local waters.

The research vessel, Tan Suo Yi Hai, appears to be circumnavigating Australia, travelling close to the nation’s subsea cables. This has prompted security concerns over whether undersea data is being mapped to assist in future Chinese submarine operations.

The Prime Minister on Monday said he “would prefer that (the ship) wasn’t there” and confirmed that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) was “monitoring what is happening” in relation to the ship.

“We won’t, for obvious reasons, broadcast everything that we’re doing,” Mr Albanese said.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton slammed the Prime Minister’s “wet lettuce” response.

“Australia has a huge part to play in the world ... but we need to call out bad behaviour in our own region,” he told Newcastle radio 2HD on Tuesday.

“There are significant assets that we can deploy to provide a projection of our own force etc.

“I just don’t think our Prime Minister has been able to stand up for our country at a time that is needed.”

Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie also said Mr Albanese’s response had been “weak”.

“Well, it’s another week and another warship, and another warship and another weak response from our Prime Minister,” Senator McKenzie said.

She slammed Mr Albanese for confusing his agencies, saying he was mistaken in claiming the ADF was monitoring the vessel when it was actually the Australian Border Force.

“This guy’s inexperience when it comes to foreign affairs and national security is on display and being exposed,” Senator McKenzie said.

“This week he’s mixing up his Defence Force and his Border Force. The guy’s absolutely all over the shop.”

Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson also weighed in on the situation, casting doubt over how trustworthy the Prime Minister was when it came to national security.

“I’m worried the Prime Minister is again not across the details when it comes to an important matter of national security,” Senator Paterson said on Sunrise.

“I know it’s only two letters away in the alphabet but there is a world of difference between the ABF and the ADF. If the Prime Minister is not to the job on national security, how can we trust him for three more years?”

When asked if he believed Mr Albanese’s confidence in the ADF was a lie, Senator Paterson said: “He either lied or he got it wrong.”

Despite the criticism during the morning, Mr Albanese refused to go further with his response when asked on Adelaide radio 5AA, beyond repeating his line from Monday that Australia was “monitoring” the vessel.

The situation comes weeks after authorities were notified by a Virgin Australia pilot about a live-fire exercise that Chinese naval vessels were conducting in the Tasman Sea.

“Do we need another Virgin flight over the Great Australian Bight to monitor this vessel? The Prime Minister has no idea,” Senator Paterson said.

Health Minister Mark Butler was asked to clarify which government agency was monitoring the ship on Tuesday’s Today show.

“Well, our agencies obviously work very closely together,” Mr Butler said.

“Australians will want to be assured that when there’s a ship circumnavigating Australia that our agencies are monitoring it.”

Mr Butler tried to assure the Australian public about the ship’s motives, saying “countries do this right across the world in all of the oceans”.

“The critical thing Australian viewers will want to know is that our agencies are watching this boat very closely, and we know exactly where it is. We know where it’s heading, we know the speed at which it’s travelling,” Mr Butler said.