Minister accused of using federal police for political purposes after senior members appear in video spruiking plan for officers with rifles

This article is more than 9 months old

This article is more than 9 months old

Peter Dutton has appeared alongside senior members of the Australian federal police in a political video spruiking the government’s plan to put officers with short-barrelled rifles in airports.

The video, released on the home affairs minister’s Facebook page, is authorised by Dutton on behalf of the Liberal National party and consists of an interview with AFP Canberra airport police commander Simon Henry and images of the AFP commissioner, Reece Kershaw, and others at a press conference announcing the policy.

A Labor spokesperson has called on Dutton to explain if it is “acceptable for him to use AFP officers in his personally authorised videos on social media” and questioned whether they might feel “used for political purposes”.

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On 6 December Dutton and the prime minister, Scott Morrison, announced that 135 police and protective service officers would be stationed at airports in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and the Gold Coast in 2020, followed by, Cairns, Adelaide and Darwin Airports in 2021. The officers will be armed with Mk18 short-barrel rifles.

In the video, Dutton boasts of the $107m commitment – for which funding was allocated in the 2018 budget – promising Australians will see “specialist squads of police” at airports and “a greater presence of canines [dogs] with the capacity to detect explosive devices, bombs, et cetera”.

“So Australians – I really want to say – you should be reassured by the presence of these officers and know we’re doing everything possible to keep people safe at our airports this Christmas but all through the year.”

Dutton then prompts superintendent Henry to explain the trial at Canberra airport, which he describes as an “excellent capability”.

“You’re right, it should reassure the members of the public who are travelling that we have a safe, secure aviation industry,” Henry said.

“And it gives us the ability to also deter incidents from happening in the first place but if something does happen we have a much greater capability to respond to it.”

The video features at least five other unnamed officers who posed with the minister while they held the rifles and dogs on leads at the Canberra airport press conference.

Electoral law requires political material to be authorised where it is made “for the dominant purpose of influencing the way electors vote in a federal election” – regardless of whether it is aired outside the election period.

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A Labor spokesperson said the opposition “supports the AFP’s hard work and sacrifice as well as these new measures to keep Australians safe at airports”.

“It is completely acceptable for the AFP to appear with relevant ministers at announcements, however Peter Dutton must ensure that AFP officers are never put in a position where they might feel they are being used for political purposes.”

An AFP spokesman said all officers at the event “were aware they would be filmed for material for traditional and social media”.

“Members have not breached the AFP code of conduct through their involvement in this event,” he said.

In March the Australian Federal Police Association – the union representing police – warned the AFP is losing its independence and integrity and must be separated from Dutton’s Home Affairs portfolio.

Police independence from the political process has been called into question during raids of construction union headquarters in 2015, the office of former senator Stephen Conroy in 2016, and the Australian Workers Union headquarters investigating historic political donations in 2017.

Guardian Australia contacted Dutton for comment.