Labor Leader Bill Shorten's shock admission today that he has not been personally briefed on the disastrous consequences of his support for the 'Phelps' Bill is an indictment on his leadership.
As he prepares to tear apart Operation Sovereign Borders, he must explain to the Australian people his apparent disdain for this key element of national security.
Labor staff have had briefings regarding Operation Sovereign Borders – including briefings on medical transfers from Nauru and Manus and the implications of those transfers.
For reasons yet unclear Mr Shorten has never attended the briefings.
He has been offered briefings on these crucial matters, including by the Prime Minister, as late as this week.
Given the significance of these matters, I had assumed he'd accepted these invitations to hear the critical intelligence and assessments of the agencies tasked with keeping Australia safe.
I am astounded to learn he has not done so.
This is an alarming failure of leadership for a man who seeks to be Australia's Prime Minister.
