Labor accused of ‘shambolic’ response to China actions
Labor on Thursday accused the Coalition of “reckless political games” while coming under fire for its “shambolic” response to China’s naval taskforce patrol in a fiery spat over national security ahead of the election.
Alarm over live-fire exercises by a Chinese flotilla in the Tasman Sea last week and its possible ongoing circumnavigation of Australia was matched by a partisan war of words in the Senate and over the air waves as both parties cast blame about mishandling the situation.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton lashed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for being “completely out of his depth”, charging that he was “either making up” his version of events or “shooting from the hip” after conflicting accounts about when the Chinese fleet gave notice of its live-fire drill.