Last week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison was accused of weaponising Australia’s relationship with China for domestic political gain when he claimed Labor was appeasing Beijing.
Morrison even went as far as to call Deputy Labor Leader Richard Marles “a Manchurian candidate” in parliament. Morrison did withdraw that comment after sparking outrage from the opposition. His words have been widely condemned as political point scoring at the expense of bipartisanship on national security.
ASIO boss Mike Burgess even made a rare intervention, saying it wasn’t helpful.
“I’ll leave the politics to the politicians but I am very clear with everyone that I need to be, that that is not helpful for us,” he told Leigh Sales on 7.30.
Speaking to Radio National on Tuesday Morning, Shadow Foreign Minister Penny Wong called out Morrison for his words, and said it was a “desperate” move.
“The voters deserve to know…why is the Prime Minister saying these things? He’s saying them because he’s desperate,” Wong said.
“He’s saying them because he’s desperate to ensure his political survival, particularly after the deadly summer of Omicron. He’s saying these things because he’s desperate to ensure he wins some political point scoring.”
Wong then made the point that Australians should see through Morrison’s tactics when it comes to weaponising national security.
“Australians have come to know the Prime Minister, Mr Morrison, is a man who’s prepared to tell lies, is obsessed with political game playing rather than doing his job,” Wong said.
“Labor will not take a backwards step when it comes to standing up for our national interests.
“We have provided clear bipartisan support on key issues on national security.”
Wong also touched on Defence Minister Peter Dutton’s comments about it being inconceivable that Australia wouldn’t join a war to defend Taiwan.
“I gave quite a detailed speech about the lack of wisdom in Mr Dutton’s words,” Wong said.
“I pointed out that our principle strategic partner and key ally, the United States, has taken a view about the importance of what’s described as ‘strategic ambiguity’.
“So rather than talking up the drums of war, the adult and responsible thing to do is to continue to assert – as the Taiwanese have done to China – that any that any resolution must occur peacefully and to speak very clearly against any unilateral changes to the status quo.
“That is the way we can preserve peace.”