Labor leader Bill Shorten says the president of the NT Labor party has made a mistake after reports he has travelled to the Middle East to fight Islamic State.
Matthew Gardiner has been stood down as president and his Labor membership suspended amid media reports he has travelled to Iraq or Syria and plans to join Kurdish militants fighting against Islamic State (IS). Mr Gardiner has an army background.
Mr Shorten, who has met the union organiser, said joining the conflict was a mistake.
"Whatever the guy's motivations, you're not going to solve things by going there," Mr Shorten told Fairfax Radio.
"He obviously feels very strongly about fighting ISIL but I don't think it's the right way to go about it, just to up sticks.
"I think he's made a mistake."
Mr Gardiner, 43, served as an Australian Army combat engineer in Somalia in the early 1990s.
His Facebook page reportedly shows contact with people who support the Kurdish militia.
Mr Shorten said the first thing was to find out whether Mr Gardiner was safe and to get him home.
"His family will be going through quite a bit of shock and confusion," Mr Shorten told Fairfax Radio.
"My thoughts are with his family."
The Australian Federal Police has confirmed Mr Gardiner is the subject of an active investigation.
Around 90 Australians are understood to have travelled to the Middle East to join militant causes.
Share
