1 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:05,360 Speaker 1: Today's biggest News from The Australian. I'm Claire Harvey with 2 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:10,400 Speaker 1: the Front's afternoon headlines. The Coalition is accusing Home Affairs 3 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: Minister Tony Burke of misleading Australians about the return of 4 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:17,800 Speaker 1: so called ISIS brides from the Middle East. In September, 5 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,960 Speaker 1: The Australian revealed a group of families, including women who 6 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:24,959 Speaker 1: married fighters with the Islamic State terror movement and children 7 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 1: born in the war zone, were preparing to return from 8 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:32,479 Speaker 1: camps in Syria where they'd been languishing. The Prime Minister 9 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:34,240 Speaker 1: denied the reports. 10 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 2: Go to the promistant those reports are not accurate. 11 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:41,599 Speaker 1: But then a senior New South Wales Police officer, Dave Hudson, 12 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 1: said his force would be assisting the families once they 13 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 1: got here, and they did in fact arrive on October three. 14 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 2: New South Wales government have a huge role, with justice 15 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 2: and health and education and everyone else in the reintegration 16 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:58,120 Speaker 2: of these individuals back into New South Wales society, as 17 00:00:58,160 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 2: we have done previously. 18 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 1: Australians revealing in fact Tony Burke held meetings with charity 19 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 1: Save the Children and advocates for the families, and asked 20 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: a public servant to leave the room so participants in 21 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:13,039 Speaker 1: the meeting could speak frankly. A typed account of the 22 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,319 Speaker 1: meeting by that public servant reported Burke saying that the 23 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 1: government didn't want to be perceived to be paying to 24 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 1: have the families smuggled out of the camp. Eventually, the 25 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:24,839 Speaker 1: families got out of the camp under their own steam 26 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:27,839 Speaker 1: and made their way to Leberton, where they were issued 27 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:32,559 Speaker 1: with Australian passports and flown home. A very senior public servant, 28 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: Department of Home Affairs Secretary Stephanie Foster, was also at 29 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: the meeting and took notes now obtained by The Australian, 30 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 1: which under the initials TB, include phrases like public pressure 31 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: makes a lot harder. Tony Burke says the notes show 32 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: the government has told the truth. It didn't offer assistance 33 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 1: to the families. Burke said there was a request from 34 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 1: Save the Children to conduct a repatriation operation and it 35 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 1: was refused. There was no repatriation and no assistance. Opposition 36 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 1: leader Susan Lee says this is a national security issue 37 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:11,080 Speaker 1: and the notes give rise to perceptions of a secret deal. 38 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 1: That story is live now at the Australian dot Com 39 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 1: dot a U and come back to the front first 40 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: thing in the morning for our close look at an 41 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: investigative podcast that took Australia by storm and is now 42 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: the subject of a new twist, Shadow of Doubt.