Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has blasted the Albanese government over the release of convicted Islamic State terrorist Isaac El Matari, who has been linked to alleged Bondi gunman Naveed Akram.
El Matari was due to be released from Macquarie Correctional Centre on Sunday after the Department of Home Affairs did not apply for a Continuing Detention Order, which a court could have imposed for up to another five years.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the government did not seek a Continuing Detention Order because it could not meet the legal threshold required to secure one.
The Australian Federal Police instead successfully applied for an interim control order imposing restrictions on El Matari following his release.
However, Mr Taylor argued the interim control order did not go far enough because it would not keep El Matari in prison.
'That's not good enough,' he said, adding that Burke 'needed to act'.
El Matari, from Greenacre in Sydney's west, was convicted in 2021 of terrorism offences linked to plans for an Islamic State base in the Blue Mountains.
The court heard he discussed possible attacks on Sydney's St Mary's Cathedral and the US Embassy and planned to travel to Afghanistan to fight alongside ISIS militants.
Convicted terrorist Isaac El Matari (pictured) was set to be released from prison on Sunday
Evidence presented during sentencing showed he had previously been jailed in Lebanon after attempting to join the terrorist group.
El Matari's 2019 arrest came during a counter-terrorism investigation that also brought Naveed Akram to the attention of authorities.
Akram has since been accused over the Bondi attack.
El Matari has been linked by authorities to a network of Islamist extremists associated with Sydney's Street Dawah movement and controversial 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 connected to the Al Madina Dawah Centre in Bankstown, which has ties to Haddad.
Haddad has denied any personal involvement with Akram while the centre has also rejected claims it had any connection to the accused Bondi attacker and it is not suggested otherwise.
Taylor accused the government of failing to take every possible step to protect the community.
'Tony Burke has not applied for a Continuing Detention Order to keep this guy under lock and key,' Opposition Leader Angus Taylor told 2GB.
Burke (pictured) said the government could not meet the threshold to secure a detention order
'He hasn't taken the action he should to keep him off the streets, and we're calling on Tony Burke to do that immediately.'
Taylor labelled the release 'extraordinary' and said the government had failed to explain why it had not pursued a detention order through the courts.
'This guy clearly is a risk to Australians in the way he has behaved in the past,' he said.
'Tony Burke should do his job, get a Continuing Detention Order, and put this guy behind lock and key.'
Asked why no action was taken before El Matari's scheduled release date, Taylor said the government had had every 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 a series of 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.
Taylor (pictured) accused the government of not doing enough to keep El Matari in prison
He was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison, with a non-parole period of five years and six months.
Dakkak was subsequently placed on an interim control order after his release and later re-arrested for breaching its conditions.
The order barred him from contacting El Matari and several figures associated with the Bankstown Dawah movement, including Haddad.
When questioned in Parliament last week, Burke acknowledged the seriousness of El Matari's conduct.
'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 keep El Matari in prison.
'The Minister needs to act, and if the Minister is not prepared to act, the Prime Minister needs to step in and tell him to,' he said.
The Albanese government has defended the release of convicted terrorist Isaac El Matari from prison, insisting authorities are using all available legal powers to protect the community.
Home Affairs did not disclose conditions of the release and monitoring of El Matari (pictured)
In a statement to Daily Mail on Sunday a Home Affairs Departmental spokesperson said community safety remained the government's highest priority and stressed that security agencies were continuing to monitor the risk 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 said federal agencies were working together to manage any threats to public safety.
'Our agencies are constantly working together to keep the community safe,' the spokesperson said.
The government declined to provide details about the specific arrangements in place for El Matari, citing operational sensitivities.
'The Australian Government has full confidence in the work of our agencies but does not comment on operational matters.'
'On 29 October 2026, the Federal Court judge approved an interim control order in respect of Isaac El Matari.'
The government said control orders formed part of a broader framework used to manage 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,' the spokesperson said.
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