Sunrise host Nat Barr takes aim at Albanese minister Tanya Plibersek amid allegations the Prime Minister wasn’t told about caravan bomb plans

Sunrise host Nat Barr has ripped into Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek over allegations Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was not told about a foiled alleged terrorism plot in Sydney.

Police have revealed a caravan packed with explosives was found in Sydney’s northwest on January 19 with a note containing the addresses of Jewish institutions, sparking a massive multi-agency response.

The investigation and the vehicle were not publicly revealed for 10 days to ensure law enforcement would have “operational control”.

Three arrests have been made “on the periphery” of the investigation, however, the masterminds are yet to be identified, according to NSW Police.

NSW Premier Chris Minns was briefed over the incident the day after the discovery, according to Sunrise, but there is widespread speculation Albanese was not told about the alleged plot.

“Tanya, a bomb on wheels is found on the outskirts of Australia’s biggest city. Should the Prime Minister have been told?” Barr asked during Hot Topics on Monday.

“Well, of course, it’s a very concerning discovery but what we don’t do is give running commentaries during police investigations,” Plibersek replied.

“The job of the police is to catch the criminals involved. That is their focus and that’s our focus.

“We’ve also, of course, made sure that we’ve got all of the resources there and the powers that the police and security agencies need.”

Plibersek touted the government’s measures to clamp down on hatred, which include backing Operation Avalite, putting $60 million into protecting Jewish schools and criminalising the Nazi salute.

Special Operation Avalite uses Commonwealth legislation to investigate, disrupt and prosecute high-harm, high-impact offending that criminally targets the Australian Jewish community and federal parliamentarians.

Plibersek argued the last time the Liberals were in government, they attempted to weaken hate speech laws.

Barr responded: “We’re not going to get into politics. You know what’s important Tanya? The thing that is affecting people on the streets is the hate that is being spread across this country.

“People are sitting there saying explosives packed in a caravan parked on the side of the road, enough to kill people, should the head of our country have known about that find?”

Plibersek shot back: “Should the police be giving a running commentary on their investigations is the question here?”

Barr replied: “I asked you that question and I’m just wondering on your response to that. As a senior minister in this government, what do you think?”

Plibersek said: “Absolutely, the police and the security agencies work hand-in-hand with the prime minister and with the government at all times.

“What we don’t do is give a running commentary about ongoing police investigations. The NSW Police made clear that the fact that this information was leaked compromised their investigations.

“And now we’ve got other people saying, ‘Oh, yeah, we should chitty chat about it in public’.”

Barr then asked: “It’s not chitty chatting informing the prime minister, is it? To keep people safe, absolutely, but this is the difference between the police working with the government and the police issuing a press release about what they’re telling the government. We’re not talking about a press release. Do you think the prime minister should have been told about something so big?”

Plibersek replied: “The prime minister works hand-in-hand with our Australian Federal Police.”

Barr: “So, he did know?”

Plibersek: “I’m not going to talk about it, Nat. That is the point. We don’t give a running commentary about ongoing police investigations.”

Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce, also on the panel for Hot Topics, took aim at Plibersek and the government.

“There’s three parts to this. Number one, that was the biggest non-answer on breakfast television that I have ever heard in the history of this program,” he said.

“Number two, it’s quite obvious that the police trust Premier Minns more than they trust the Prime Minister of Australia.

“Number three is maybe, possibly, we wouldn’t be going down this path if the Labor Party had been more efficacious in their pursuit of antisemitism right from the start rather than the ambivalence we had.”