Sunrise host Nat Barr confronts Albanese government minister Clare O’Neil over return of ISIS brides

Sunrise host Nat Barr has taken on Housing Minister Clare O’Neil over the return of so-called “ISIS brides” to Australia, after Foreign Minister Penny Wong was accused of a “cover-up” in Senate estimates.

News broke last week that six Australian women, all partners of members of the terrorist group Islamic State, had reportedly returned to the country after being smuggled out of northern Syria.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had earlier said reports his government was facilitating the return of ISIS brides were not accurate — a line his government has maintained.

Liberal Senator Michaelia Cash quizzed Foreign Minister Penny Wong over the reports during Senate Estimates on Tuesday, with Wong declining to answer questions about their movements.

On Wednesday, both O’Neil and Cash joined Barr on Sunrise.

“Why is the government unable to confirm how many women fled Syria and returned here? It’s been reported in the media,” Barr asked O’Neil.

O’Neil responded by saying the government had not been involved in their return.

“I think Senator Wong made it really clear in the estimates hearing that no repatriation assistance has been provided to this group of people,” O’Neil said.

“The government has not supported this group of people back into Australia and they have been dealt with through the usual way that these matters are dealt with in the same way that Michaelia’s government did when they were in office.”

O’Neil took aim at Cash, saying she had supported the repatriation of eight children of ISIS under the Morrison government in 2019.

Barr questioned Cash on what she believes the public should know.

“Albanese told the Australian people that the ISIS brides were not returning to Australia and we now know that they have,” a clearly frustrated Cash said.

“Instead of providing answers in estimates yesterday, the government provided silence.

“They’re treating the Australian people like fools. These are woman who left Australia to join what is regarded as probably one of the most disgraceful and barbaric terrorist organisations that has murdered, raped, and killed women, men and children.

“Now, the government won’t even provide Australians with the most basic of answers.”

Cash then directed her questions to O’Neil, asking for clarification.

“Clare, how many ISIS brides are back in Australia? What assessments did your government do before they arrived back in Australia? What monitoring conditions are in place in relation to them? What is your government doing to keep Australians safe?”

Barr noted the ISIS brides are Australian citizens who have a right to return.

O’Neil accused Cash of making their return “political”.

“I mean, these matters are being dealt with in the same way that they were dealt with under the Morrison government,” O’Neil said, referring again to the repatriation of eight children from Syria in 2019.

“Michaelia was part of a cabinet that went to Syria and picked up a group of people and brought them back to Australia, which is different from what’s happened here.

“Here we have a group of people who were not offered any repatriation assistance by our government.

“So, as usual, we’re seeing Michaelia trying to make a political issue out of something that doesn’t really make sense.”

Barr attempted to pin O’Neil down, asking: “Clare, you are confirming several of the ISIS brides have come back into the country but they’re Australian citizens, so the Australian government hasn’t helped them, is that right?”

O’Neil replied she was not confirming anything that was not already on the public record.

Cash then asked: “What is the issue Clare with saying the ISIS brides have returned?

“The children were not born in Australia. They were born overseas. They didn’t have any documents, they didn’t have a passport or birth certificate.

“The Australian government had to facilitate the giving of those documents to the children in order for them to come into Australia.”

Cash asked why the government cannot confirm the ISIS brides are back, and how many and where they are, as well as what the Albanese government is doing to protect the Australian people.

“I’m at a loss to understand why basic questions can’t be answered?” Cash said.

O’Neil said the government did not provide any repatriation assistance to any overseas-born children of ISIS brides.

Barr questioned how the children were able to enter Australia, to which O’Neil simply replied: “What I can tell you is the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister have been absolutely clear, we didn’t provide repatriation assistance.

“I say again to Michaelia, she was a part of government that actually went to Syria and took a group back to Australia.”