A new federal police working group dedicated to the fight against anti-Semitism will be created if Peter Duton wins the next elections.

The Leader of the Opposition announced this policy on Monday morning. The task force would be led by the AFP and would include the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO), the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (AUSTRAC), the Australian Border Force ( ABF) and the state police.

He claims that the coalition government:

• Issue a new ministerial instruction to the AFP to prioritize the fight against anti-Semitism.
• Order the task force to expel any non-citizens for conduct deemed anti-Semitic.

He holds a press conference in Melbourne alongside Shadow Home Secretary James Paterson.

The Leader of the Opposition speaks about the response to the arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea.

Federal police will meet with Victoria Police today to determine whether an arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue meets the definition of terrorism.

An official declaration on terrorism, which would unlock additional police powers, is a matter for state authorities.

Shadow Home Secretary James Paterson wondered why the police had not organized this meeting sooner.

“I’m afraid it’s going to take longer than expected,” he told ABC’s RN Breakfast.

“Why didn’t this happen on Friday? Was the National Security Committee of the cabinet convened? Did the government discuss how it was going to prevent this from happening at a another synagogue or another place of worship?”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared the attack on the Adass Israel synagogue in Ripponlea, in his opinion, as terrorism. Attorney General Mark Dreyfuswho is minister responsible for federal police, said it was up to the cops to make a formal appeal.

When asked if there was a need for a separation of powers, Paterson said the community expects leaders to “send clear messages.”

“The police have their procedures, which they will follow, but political leaders also have expectations of us and the community expects us to take leadership, and they expect us to send clear signals about what we tolerate and what we do not tolerate,” he said.

Antoine Albanais He should have held an election before Christmas rather than waiting until next year if he wanted to be re-elected, Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie says.

Two polls published on Monday morning in the Nine and News Corp newspapers spell trouble for Albanese, who is seeking to become the first prime minister to be re-elected since John Howard.

“I don’t think the polls are going to get any better for him,” Lambie told Nine’s Today Show.

“If I were him, I would have called (the elections) for December 7.”

She says the longer the Prime Minister leaves the country, the more ordinary Australians will face the cost of living.

“People are going to get all their rates in March. They’re going to get their Christmas bills. They’re going to get all of the kids’ school stuff, they’re going to have their energy…their bills coming in,” she said. said.

“People won’t see any more relaxation. And I don’t see interest rates dropping until he goes to election.”

Peter Duton is expected to publish the costs of its nuclear project this week.

The coalition revealed plans to build seven nuclear power plants on five sites in June, promising that the first could be operational between 2035 and 2037.

It follows a new report from Australia’s leading science agency, the CSIRO, which found building a nuclear power plant would likely cost twice as much as renewable energy.

Barnaby Joyce, national leader dismissed the findings when asked on Sunrise this morning.

“If the CSIRO is right, then every other country in the world must be wrong,” he said.

“Canada must be wrong, France must be in it, America must be wrong, India must be wrong, Pakistan, Brazil, Argentina, it’s ridiculous.”

He said he could “guarantee” that nuclear power would be cheaper than renewables.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said it was “wrong”.

“Nuclear is the most expensive form and it won’t be available for 20 years, and all the experts agree with that. The only person who disagrees is Barnaby,” she said. declared.

Former Treasurer Josh Friedenberg demands that premiers make urgent change to ban people from protesting outside places of worship.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns told reporters on Sunday his government would investigate changes to the law after a protest outside the City of Sydney. The Great Synagogue forced the closure of the place.

Speaking to Seven, Frydenberg wants all state leaders to get on board with the idea.

“These should be safe spaces and not places where people organize violent political protests,” he says.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu It was “absolutely wrong” to try to link the Melbourne synagogue attack to Australia’s vote at the UN calling for an end to Israeli presence in the occupied Palestinian territory, Attorney General Mark Dreyfus said.

Netanyahu issued a statement on the social media platform Adass Israel Synagogue, criticizing the Albanian government for its “extreme anti-Israeli stance”.

Speaking to News Breakfast, Dryefus said he “respectfully disagreed” with Netanyahu.

“Australia remains a close friend of Israel, as we have been since the Labor Government recognized the State of Israel when it was established by the United Nations. Today, that remains the case.”

Dreyfus believes now is the time for Australia to unite against anti-Semitism, highlighting some of the abuse he has suffered in recent days.

“This is not the time to engage in partisan bickering. This is not the time to seek party advantage,” he said.

“I have experienced levels of anti-Semitism, like all Australian Jews, like we have never experienced before in our lives.

“I have been in Parliament for a long time… and I have never encountered the kind of vile anti-Semitic hate speech directed at my colleagues, at me,… simply because I am Jewish. Now it has to stop.”

Attorney General Mark Dreyfus says no one will mourn the “end of Assad’s murderous regime.”

Syrian ousted President Bashar al-Assad and his family arrived in Russia and were granted asylum, according to Russian state media.

Assad fled Syria as rebel forces entered the capital Damascus yesterday, with attention now turning to what the future of the war-ravaged country will look like.

Attorney General Mark Dreyfus claims the government is “monitoring” events in Syria.

“No one will mourn the end of Assad’s murderous regime in Syria,” he told ABC News Breakfast.

“We want peace there. We hope that there will be respect for life and that Syria will be able to achieve a peaceful and prosperous future.”

Attorney General Mark Dreyfus has refused to describe an arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue last week as an act of terrorism.

The incident that occurred last week at the Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea was described by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, in his personal opinion, like terrorism.

Dreyfus, who is Jewish, told ABC’s News Breakfast that the prime minister was right to say the event “sown fear in the hearts of Australians”, but he did not want to preempt the police investigation.

“As far as formal technical descriptions are concerned, let’s leave that to the police because they are the ones leading the investigation,” he said.

Pressed on the prime minister’s remarks, the AG said Albanese “simply recognized how much fear and distress” the arson had caused.

“It’s hard to imagine this horrific event happening in Australia in 2024,” he said.

An official declaration on terrorism, which would unlock additional police powers, is a matter for state authorities.

Welcome to our live politics blog. Courtney Gould from the ABC Parliament team is here to guide you through the day.

Let’s get straight to it.