Labor has come under fire after bombshell details of a High Court detainee allegedly breaching his visa 26 times before he was shot by police and arrested in a separate incident emerged in court, with the Coalition expected to focus heavily on national security during day five of the federal election campaign.
Sudanese refugee Masi Ayiik, 33, was shot in the left armpit by police in Melbourne about 10.30am on Saturday after he allegedly chased officers 30m while armed with a metal pole.
Mr Ayiik returned before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, seeking bail on charges including resisting police, assaulting police and reckless conduct endangering serious injury.
The court was told following his release from detention in November 2023 as part of the landmark NZYQ High Court ruling, he was placed on a Class R visa in February last year with conditions of a 10pm to 6am curfew and to wear an electronic monitoring device.
In that time, Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Eleanor Vallas told the court, Mr Ayiik had been charged with 26 breaches of his visa conditions, mostly relating to alleged breaches of curfew.
Coalition campaign spokesman and home affairs spokesman James Paterson said the revelation “makes a mockery of our immigration system and community safety”.
“Labor continues to preach that they will deport individuals like this to Nauru, and yet they have not a single case to show for it.”
Sergeant Vallas told the court on Tuesday she had a 13-page list of Mr Ayiik’s prior criminal matters, including rioting, affray, recklessly causing injury, car theft and possessing a drug of dependence.
Notes from Australian Border Force, the officer said, indicated assaults on staff and detainees, handling contraband and a hunger strike in protest of conditions – though no charges were laid.
Daniel McGlone, acting as Mr Ayiik’s lawyer, told the court those alleged acts occurred prior to the High Court ruling and at a time when his client would have believed he was going to be held in detention indefinitely.
The court was told Mr Ayiik had a prima facie entitlement to bail, but it was opposed by prosecutors who alleged he was an unacceptable risk to police and the wider community.
Mr Paterson alleged Mr Ayiik was an example of a “high-risk individual” released as part of the High Court ruling.
“Enough is enough, Australians deserve an answer from Labor as to how this got so out of control and why they must continue to tolerate these alleged high-risk individuals on our streets,” he said.
Chinese ship sparks national security debate
The Coalition is expected to use Mr Ayiik’s case, as well as fears over a Chinese vessel conducting research off the coast of Australia, to highlight what they say is a weak approach from the Albanese government as it campaigns on Wednesday.
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 the Australian Defence Force was “monitoring what is happening” in relation to the ship.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton slammed the “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. I just don’t think our Prime Minister has been able to stand up for our country at a time that is needed.”