Scott Morrison has again accused Anthony Albanese of being too close to China, despite diplomats warning just hours earlier Beijing has its eye on the nation’s social divisions.
A federal election firmly in sight, the Prime Minister has used the past week to craft the narrative Labor is soft on China and national security.
Taking to the despatch box on Wednesday, Mr Morrison continued his blistering attack on the opposition leader.
“My government will never be the preferred partner of a foreign government that has chosen to intimidate this country and has sought to threaten this country,” he said during Question Time.
“They will not find a fellow traveller when it comes to threats and coercion against Australia in my government.”
Referring to Mr Albanese as a Manchurian candidate – a remark that he was forced to withdraw – he continued: “The Chinese Government has picked their horse and he's sitting right there. “
His comments came just hours after the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade warned Beijing would take advantage of any division.
“I think it’s fair to say that the Chinese system seeks to exploit social and other divisions in countries to pursue its interests – that’s very apparent,” deputy secretary Justin Hayhurst said.
Intelligence experts have also sounded the alarm on heightened rhetoric, insisting it was not in the national interest to politicise national security.
“Traditionally, Australian governments have seen it to be in the national interest to have a bipartisan approach to critical national security issues,” former ASIO director general Dennis Richardson told the Australian.
“It is a long time since an Australian government has actively sought to create a partisan divide on national security,”
Tensions also boiled over in a Senate estimates hearing on Wednesday, after Labor accused the government of running a “sleazy and desperate” attack.
“You’ve had a series of opportunities Minister (Payne) over the course of the morning to reassert the value of what is a many decades long tradition of bipartisanship on national security,” senator Tim Ayres said.
“In the face of what is a sleazy and desperate assault on the national interest by the Defence Minister and Prime Minister I would expect a foreign minister would stand up for the national interest at this point.
A frustrated Senator Payne categorically rejected the accusation.
“I reject your editorial characterisation,” she responded.
“But it is the case that members and senators, no matter who they are or where they sit, ultimately have to own their own remarks and language. And I mean every single one.”
