Angus Taylor Criticizes Government Over Release of Terror Convict Linked to Alleged Bondi Attacker

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has voiced strong criticism of the Albanese government following the release of convicted Islamic State terrorist Isaac El Matari, who has been linked to the alleged perpetrator of the Bondi attack, Naveed Akram. El Matari was scheduled for release from Macquarie Correctional Centre on Sunday after the Department of Home Affairs opted not to pursue a Continuing Detention Order.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke stated that the government did not seek a Continuing Detention Order as it could not meet the required legal threshold. Instead, the Australian Federal Police successfully applied for an interim control order, which imposes restrictions on El Matari post-release. Taylor argued that this measure is insufficient, as it does not keep El Matari incarcerated.

"That's not good enough," Taylor stated, urging Burke to "act." He added that Burke "needed to act" and that the minister "has not taken the action he should to keep him off the streets, and we're calling on Tony Burke to do that immediately."

El Matari, from Greenacre in Sydney's west, was convicted in 2021 for terrorism offenses related to plans for an Islamic State base in the Blue Mountains. The court heard he had discussed potential attacks on Sydney's St Mary's Cathedral and the U.S. Embassy and had intended to travel to Afghanistan to join ISIS militants. Evidence presented during his sentencing indicated he had previously been jailed in Lebanon for attempting to join the terrorist group.

El Matari's 2019 arrest occurred during a counter-terrorism investigation that also brought Naveed Akram to authorities' attention. Akram has since been accused in connection with the Bondi attack. Authorities have linked El Matari to a network of Islamist extremists associated with Sydney's Street Dawah movement and preacher Wissam Haddad. Investigators alleged that several extremists and terror suspects were connected through street-preaching activities in western Sydney. Akram appeared in a 2019 street-preaching video linked to the Al Madina Dawah Centre in Bankstown, which has ties to Haddad.

Haddad has denied personal involvement with Akram, and the Al Madina Dawah Centre has rejected claims of any connection to the accused Bondi attacker. It is not suggested that the center had any connection to Akram.

Taylor accused the government of failing to take all possible steps to protect the community. "Tony Burke has not applied for a Continuing Detention Order to keep this guy under lock and key," Taylor told 2GB. He labeled the release "extraordinary" and questioned the government's failure to explain why a detention order was not pursued. "This guy clearly is a risk to Australians in the way he has behaved in the past," Taylor asserted. "Tony Burke should do his job, get a Continuing Detention Order, and put this guy behind lock and key."

Taylor indicated that the government had ample opportunity to intervene. "You'd apply for a Continuing Detention Order and say this guy is a threat to Australia and Australians and should be under lock and key, but Tony Burke can't bring himself to do it," he said. "I have got to tell you, I just do not understand Tony Burke's motives on this."

El Matari was arrested in 2019 alongside Sydney man Radwan Dakkak during counter-terrorism raids in western Sydney. He later pleaded guilty to preparing for a terrorist act and planning to enter a foreign country to engage in hostile activity. He received a sentence of seven years and four months, with a non-parole period of five years and six months. Dakkak was placed on an interim control order upon his release and later re-arrested for breaching its conditions, which included prohibitions on contacting El Matari and other figures associated with the Bankstown Dawah movement.

During a parliamentary session last week, Burke acknowledged the gravity of El Matari's actions. "We are talking about someone who has engaged in views and planning that is beyond contempt," he told the House. However, Taylor maintained that the interim control order was inadequate because it would not result in El Matari's continued imprisonment.

In response, a spokesperson for the Home Affairs Department stated that community safety is the government's highest priority and that security agencies are continuously monitoring the risks posed by convicted terrorist offenders. "There is no higher priority for the Australian Government than protecting the community from harm, including the risk posed by convicted terrorist offenders," the spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that federal agencies are collaborating to manage public safety threats. "Our agencies are constantly working together to keep the community safe."

The government declined to disclose specific details regarding El Matari's release and monitoring arrangements, citing operational sensitivities. "The Australian Government has full confidence in the work of our agencies but does not comment on operational matters." The spokesperson noted that an interim control order for El Matari was approved by a Federal Court judge on October 29, 2026, and that control orders are part of a comprehensive framework for managing convicted terrorists after their release from custody. "Continuing Detention Orders are one of a suite of measures available to manage terrorist offenders that includes control orders," the spokesperson said. "The Government takes the strongest action available under the law, based on expert advice and in consultation with the relevant operational and security agencies."