By Gill Bikram Singh 
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has denied deliberately avoiding key details about the Dural caravan terror plot, which authorities now say was a hoax orchestrated by criminals for personal gain rather than a real threat.
Dutton did not attend a police briefing on January 30, a day after the plot was publicly revealed, but insists his office was represented. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) had determined early on that the plot was a “fabricated terrorism” scheme, though this information was not fully shared in the briefing attended by opposition MPs.
Dutton accused Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke of “lying” and politicizing national security. He also questioned when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was informed the plot was a hoax, after Albanese initially referred to it as a potential terrorism event.
Despite AFP suspicions, media reports on January 29 suggested the caravan contained 29 explosives capable of a large-scale blast, leading Dutton to warn it could have been “the most catastrophic terrorist attack” in Australia’s history. He later called for an inquiry into the government’s handling of the situation.
NSW Premier Chris Minns defended treating the plot as a serious terrorism threat in its early stages, stating it would have been negligent not to. Meanwhile, the AFP continues its investigation into the motives behind the staged plot.