Sussan Ley defends ‘foreign criminals’ claim, despite police dropping sexual assault charge

Key PointsDeputy Opposition leader Sussan Ley has defended a tweet she wrote about “foreign criminals” in Victoria.Her comments have been condemned by Education Minister Jason Clare and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.Tensions are high between the Coalition and government rise ahead of the Dunkley byelection.

Deputy Opposition leader Sussan Ley has defended a tweet she wrote about “foreign criminals” allegedly assaulting women in Victoria, as tensions between the coalition and government rise ahead of the Dunkley by-election.

The tweet came after the Coalition raised in Question Time yesterday allegations that a man released from immigration detention following

had stalked and sexually assaulted a woman.

Police have since retracted charges against the man.

Shortly after Question Time, Ley tweeted that people should “send Labor a message,” when they vote in the Victorian seat on Saturday.

“If you live in Frankston and you’ve got a problem with Victorian women being assaulted by foreign criminals, vote against Labor.

“If you do not want to see Australian women being assaulted by foreign criminals, vote against Labor.”

Later in the day, Victoria Police announced they had

and said the case was one of mistaken identity.

Sussan Ley doubles down on comments, attacks Andrew Giles

Education Minister Jason Clare said Peta Murphy, the former Dunkley MP who died last year, would be “disgusted” by Ley’s comments.

“You should delete the tweet,” Clare said to Ley, who appeared on Seven’s Sunrise program on Friday morning alongside him.

“This is a classic example of why women aren’t joining the Liberal party and why they’re not voting for the Liberal party, because of that classic, desperate, grubby political scare campaign we saw from the Liberal party yesterday.

“I don’t know, really, you must wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and think, after 25 years of being a member of parliament, is this what I’ve become?”

Ley said she would not “take instructions” from Clare.

“Anyone who watched Question Time during this week and saw your hopeless immigration minister unable to demonstrate that he even knows where his criminals [are], what they’re doing, who’s monitoring them and whether the community is safe, would probably not agree with what you’ve just said,” she said.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton said in Question Time on Thursday that Immigration Minister Andrew Giles “is a disaster” and his decisions have “put Australians at risk and women in Victoria are alleged to have been sexually assaulted”.

Speaking in Dunkley on Friday morning, Dutton said he was relying on media reports at the time.

“I think when you are relying on advice from the police authorities, from a statement that had been issued or from media reports that had been confirmed by the minister responsible, I think it’s entirely reasonable that you would make the points that we made yesterday,” he said.

Australian Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has accused Immigration Minister Andrew Giles of “putting Australians at risk” in his handling of the release of people from mandatory immigration detention. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch

“The general point that we’re making is that the Albanese government’s released 149 people, hardened criminals, from immigration detention.”

He previously said he believed there would be a swing away from the government, but Labor would ultimately retain the seat.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who was also in Dunkley on Friday, said it was “extraordinary” Ley had not deleted the tweet.

“If you look at the questions that were asked in parliament yesterday, it says everything about the problem with this 24-hour news cycle, where you just have a fear campaign about everything and a solution for nothing.”

“I’m waiting for Peter Dutton to take responsibility for the debacle yesterday, making completely false accusations against one of my ministers.”

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