23:44

Murph drew your attention earlier today to the federal justice minister, Michael Keenan, criticising Labor’s candidate in Cowan for writing a “letter of support” last year for Junaid Thorne, a self-styled Muslim preacher who was appealing against a jail sentence for flying under a false name.

Anne Aly, the Labor candidate, is an expert in violent extremism who has received federal government funding for her work. Guardian Australia has obtained a copy of the letter in question. It deals primarily with Thorne’s co-conspirator, Mostafa Shiddiquzzaman, who was aged 19 when the pair flew to Sydney from Perth using false names. Here are the references to Thorne, which Aly made after meeting both men in Sydney:

“During the meeting [with the pair] I advised both clients that they should pursue re-entry into higher education and offered assistance to help them re-enrol in university courses in Sydney and/or Perth.

“I also advised the clients that they should access mentoring and counselling services and offered to provide these support services to them in Perth.”

She encouraged Thorne “to develop his family attachments with his mother and siblings in Perth”.

“I have also discussed the possibility of Mr Thorne making regular monthly visits to Perth to meet with me as part of a mentoring program designed to facilitate his reintegration and assist him in pursuing his studies and developing positive attachments,” she said.

Thorne’s sentence was reduced by one month on appeal, the judge making reference to Aly’s letter in his reasoning.

Keenan’s use of it on Thursday has angered Lydia Shelly, the solicitor who engaged Aly’s services in the case. “Shiddiquzzaman has followed her recommendations. He’s gone back to Perth, disassociated his radical links, returned to university and reunited with his family,” she says.

“Anne has essentially given back a family their son. She has saved that young person and put him back on the right track.

“I’m very disappointed the justice minister would use this to score cheap political points,” she says.