In Budget Estimates today, the Premier has refused to rule out arming private Jewish individuals in the Community Security Group and disagreed with NSW Police Counter-Terrorism Commander David Hudson’s rejection of arming CSG.
Noting the Community Security Group are already armed in NSW, the Premier declined to commit to a religious-neutral framework for arming private groups. The NSW Police Association has come out against the move.
The Community Security Group has faced questions from ASIO over its links to the Israeli spy agency Mossad, and the Administrative Review Tribunal has upheld suspensions of security clearances of CSG members from the Australian military.
Greens MP and spokesperson for justice and solicitor Sue Higginson said “At the same time as the Premier defends his buyback of guns to keep lethal weapons on the streets, he seems determined to put lethal weapons on the streets by arming the private Community Security Group,
“The Police oppose this move, the Police Association opposes this move, and Commissioner Virginia Bell of the Royal Commission into Antisemitism, has expressed concerns with this move, but the Premier’s own ideology seems to be overriding these serious public safety considerations,
“The administrative review tribunal has raised concerns that members of the Community Security Group have more allegiance to the foreign government of Israel than to Australia. CSG training courses are undertaken by agencies funded by the Israeli government, there are serious intelligence considerations that the Premier has ignored,
“The Premier’s decision undermines police, public safety and “social cohesion”. If police feel as though it is unsafe to give guns to private Jewish security groups at community events, who does the Premier anticipate will facilitate the use of lethal guns at public events?
“It is time for the Premier to accept the sensible position of the NSW Police and the evidence that guns in the hands of private individuals make nobody safer and will likely sow resentment. Labor Premier Chris Minns needs to put this idea to bed,” Ms Higginson said.
