Former treasurer Joe Hockey says politicians can feel “personally smeared” after a foreign spy operation involving an ex-politician targeted an ex-prime minister’s family.
ASIO boss Mike Burgess has defended his refusal to name the former politician who allegedly sold out Australia to foreign spies as critics, including former treasurer Joe Hockey, demanded he reveal the person’s identity.
Saying that harm had been caused by the ex-politician’s behaviour, Burgess said: “Personally, I don’t think they will be stupid enough to repeat what they’ve done in the past, so problem neutralised.”Burgess said he was grateful that protections against foreign interference had since been strengthened, suggesting the activity occurred before 2018 when landmark legislation to protect Australia from foreign interference passed parliament.
“As the director-general has said, they’ve completely undermined and sold out both their colleagues and their country and that’s really the issue here,” Marles told ABC TV on Thursday morning. “If anyone believes in transparency and accountability and the integrity of our freedom and the best interest of our nation, then the head of our intelligence agency, or the minister responsible, needs to name who that person was as a traitor to Australia.”“I think it is unfair on a lot of former MPs who are patriotic, as 99.
“Mike Burgess is an absolute professional, and I respect the advice we get from him and from ASIO. This is ultimately a matter for them, how they publicise their important work.”In Burgess’ speech, the ASIO head said individuals should be grateful the 2018 espionage and foreign interference laws were not retrospective, suggesting the plot operated for at least five years and involved a politician before those laws were passed.