Immigration Minister Andrew Giles has admitted that his previous claim about drones being used to monitor released immigration detainees was incorrect. Giles initially implied that drones were being used for surveillance, but the Australian Federal Police (AFP) stated they had no knowledge of such activity. This admission has led to significant criticism from various political figures, including Shadow Minister Dan Tehan and Nationals Senator Matt Canavan. Sky News Australia Political Editor Andrew Clennell and Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson have also lambasted Giles for misleading the public. The opposition has called for the briefing where Giles drew his now-refuted claim. Giles' Direction 99 has also come under scrutiny, with reports of New Zealand diplomats approaching Home Affairs officials to influence it.
Shadow home affairs minister James Paterson has lambasted Andrew Giles for his "shocking attempt to mislead" the Australian people after “publicly hallucinating” a done surveillance program monitoring released immigration detainees. https://t.co/GQyMNMW48h
Shadow Immigration and Citizenship Minister Dan Tehan has blasted the “serious breakdown” between Immigration Minister Andrew Giles and his department after an “embarrassing about-face” over claims drones were monitoring released detainees. https://t.co/JQHZ42nHbp
🇦🇺 Drone ▫When will the incompetence on immigration end? ▫Editorial ▫https://t.co/cxYOAIMqFc 👈 #frontpagestoday #Australia @thenightlyau 🇦🇺 https://t.co/t7UCKD9Qr0
🇦🇺 Number Of Days Since Giles Last Blunder 0 ▫Immigration Minister Andrew Giles concedes he was wrong to claim detainees were being monitored by drones ... ▫Simon Benson & @rhi_down #frontpagestoday #Australia @australian 🇦🇺 https://t.co/CTjhoMkQtk
The Opposition has issued a call to see the briefing where Immigration Minister Andrew Giles drew his now refuted claim of drones monitoring released detainees. https://t.co/F0TizdaOPn
Nationals Senator Matt Canavan has claimed it is “only a matter of time” before Immigration Minister Andrew Giles is sacked after he made a false claim the government was using drones to track released detainees. https://t.co/NbUfy0dc4M
Andrew Giles concedes he was wrong to claim detainees were being monitored by drones, as it emerged NZ diplomats were constantly approaching Home Affairs officials to influence his ill-fated Direction 99. https://t.co/uFETtn5EHX
Immigration Minister Andrew Giles has come under fire from Sky News Australia Political Editor Andrew Clennell who lambasted the under-fire frontbencher's false claim the government was using drones to track released detainees. https://t.co/fRkw3QIrXW
Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell says Immigration Minister Andrew Giles has “got to go”. https://t.co/ylnv0PDZAg
Andrew Giles backs away from claim drones being used to track released immigration detainees https://t.co/cyARgExgCh
Breaking: Immigration Minister Andrew Giles has admitted that drones are not being used to track released detainees in a fresh gaffe for the under-fire frontbencher. https://t.co/uiwZogpUJ0
Under watchful glare of Shadow Minister Dan Tehan, Immigration Minister Andrew Giles admits his claim that drones were being used to monitor the whereabouts of former immigration detainees was false. @10NewsFirst https://t.co/bR3iNuAS3E
The Immigration Minister has admitted drones are not being used to monitor freed detainees, despite telling Sky News that they were in an interview last week. https://t.co/RxKq3ca8BA
#BREAKING 🚨 Immigration Minister Andrew Giles admits he was wrong to say drones are monitoring immigration detainees: SBS | #6NewsAU
Immigration Minister Andrew Giles last week implied drones were being used to monitor the detainees themselves, but the AFP subsequently said it had no knowledge of the use of drones. https://t.co/q1rAUAdZvl