WITHDRAWING Australian Federal Police officers and specialist dogs from Hobart Airport will leave the entire state vulnerable to terrorism and organised crime, independent Denison MHR Andrew Wilkie has warned.
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Mr Wilkie, a former intelligence analyst, has again urged the federal government to review its decision to remove the law enforcement resources.
An illicit drug and cash-detecting dog and an explosives-detecting dog have already been redeployed from the airport, with 27 AFP officers to be pulled out next month.
Tasmania Police will take over the duties, but not maintain a permanent police presence at the site.
A Commonwealth Government spokeswoman yesterday reiterated shifting policing responsibilities at the airport from AFP to Tasmania Police was based on careful consideration of potential risks, given the airport does not receive regular international commercial flights.
But Mr Wilkie said removing AFP officers would make the airport a ‘‘soft and symbolic" ’ terrorist target.
‘‘Not only are they treating us as a second-class state they are happy to give us second-rate protection against terror," ’ he said.
Mr Wilkie said while the likelihood of an attack on the terminal was remote, if one did occur the Commonwealth Government ‘‘will have blood on its hands’’.
He said retrenching the two dogs would significantly reduce Tasmania Police’s capacity to combat serious and conventional crimes.