Extract from ABC News
It's a rare thing for the boss of ASIO to publicly push back at the government's political line of attack. It's rarer still for the spy chief to intervene twice in the space of 48 hours. Yet this is where we've arrived, leaving the Prime Minister's "reds under the beds" scare campaign against his opponent look, well, desperate.
At the end of last week's internal shambles over religious discrimination, Peter Dutton flicked the switch to what he clearly believed to be more comfortable ground: national security. The Chinese Communist Party, he warned parliament, had "made a decision about who they're going to back in the next federal election. That's open. That is obvious. And they have picked this bloke, the Leader of the Opposition, as their candidate."
The newish Speaker of the House, the LNP's Andrew Wallace (who's still finding his feet), let it go at the time but after further consideration, returned to the chair on Monday to declare Dutton's remarks were "not in order" and should not be repeated.
The more serious rebuke came from the Director-General of ASIO, Mike Burgess. He had inadvertently triggered the latest reds under the beds scare when he delivered his annual "threat assessment" last week.
Burgess, who has sought to move ASIO out of the shadows, used the speech to remind parties, candidates and the public about the nature and threat of foreign interference. He revealed his agency had disrupted a plot involving a wealthy "puppeteer" deeply connected to a foreign power who was targeting potential candidates ahead of an election.
The ASIO boss avoided naming the foreign power or the political party being targeted. It didn't take long for the Sydney Morning Herald to reveal both: China and the ALP.
Cue Dutton. Anthony Albanese was "China's pick", he again warned. "From what I see, both open source and other intelligence I see, it's a statement of the obvious," Dutton told the ABC's Patricia Karvelas. Apparently, the long-standing position of not commenting on intelligence information doesn't apply when an election looms and the government is 10 points behind.
ASIO boss delivers three key messages
This left Burgess in an awkward position. Appearing before a Senate estimates hearing on Monday night, he sought to clear things up. "Attempts at political interference are not confined to one side of politics," he said. The ASIO boss had spoken to Albanese and confirmed his agency had no concern about any of Labor's candidates. Individuals who were targeted by the "puppeteer" had no idea about the plot, which was ultimately disrupted.
Burgess could have left it there. He didn't. The ASIO boss went on to deliver three pointed messages.
First came the blunt warning to assembled Senators and anyone else in the ministerial wing who may be listening: "ASIO is not here to be politicised. It should not be."
Second, Burgess defended his decision to raise awareness of foreign interference by publicly airing examples like the "puppeteer" case: "There may be people — officials or members of parliament or ministers — who choose to misuse that. That's a risk. Any misuse is a matter for them to answer to, not me." Misuse indeed.
Third, Burgess expressed concern as to where such politicisation and weaponisation can lead: "It is critical we do not let fear of foreign interference undermine stakeholder engagement or stoke community division."
In other words, he doesn't want politicians to avoid engaging with the Chinese Australian community altogether for fear of being labelled "China's pick" in a political hit-job. Were this to happen, he said, "it would perversely have the same corrosive impact on our democracy as foreign interference itself".
So, was anyone listening to the ASIO Director-General? Apparently not.
The following morning, the Prime Minister kept up Dutton's line of attack. He told 2GB's Ben Fordham that countries trying to threaten and coerce Australia have "a one way bet on each way Albo". He told 2SM's John Laws that the Opposition Leader was "soft" on China and wanted to "appease".
Scary stuff. The only problem was the scarce evidence to back these claims. The Foreign Minister notably wouldn't echo them, despite being pressed repeatedly by Sky's Kieran Gilbert.
Morrison is opting for blunt force
As national security experts have pointed out, it's hardly in Australia's interests for allies and partners to be given the false impression that a change of government could mean a change of position on China.
Labor's position wasn't helped by the Global Times, a Chinese Government mouthpiece, choosing to publish an opinion piece by former Australian diplomat Bruce Haigh in which he declares Albanese "positively shines" compared to Morrison. Searing attacks on Morrison in the Global Times are nothing new. They aren't, however, evidence of Albanese being an appeaser.
Both sides of politics have hardened their positions on China over the years. After coming to power, the Coalition courted Beijing. It used to boast of its Free Trade Agreement and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. No more. Labor has shifted ground even more recently. It's dropped attacks on the government's "megaphone diplomacy" and inability to secure ministerial meetings.
Both sides now agree times have changed and it's China to blame for the state of the relationship. Labor immediately backed the shift to nuclear submarines and the AUKUS agreement. It now remains in lockstep with the government, wary of any crack in bipartisanship.
That hasn't stopped the Prime Minister. Nor, apparently, did the rebuke from the ASIO boss on Monday night. Opting for blunt force Morrison ploughing on yesterday, pointing across the chamber in Question Time to declare the Chinese Government has “picked their horse and he’s sitting right there”. He called the Deputy Labor Leader Richard Marles a "Manchurian Candidate", which the Speaker made him withdraw.
Last night, Mike Burgess took the unusual step of appearing on the ABC's 7:30 program, to repeat his point about foreign interference not just targeting the Labor Party. It's "equal opportunity in that regards", he told Leigh Sales. Burgess went on to describe the politicking around his speech as "not helpful for us".
Let that sink in. The head of Australia's domestic spy agency says ASIO's work in safeguarding national security is not being helped by the political games currently being played.
As both sides know, scare campaigns can work. Mud can stick. But there’s real danger now for the government.
With so little to back up the Prime Minister’s claims of Labor appeasement, and clear pushback from the ASIO chief, risks looking desperate. And worse, he looks willing to play with Australia’s national interest in order to preserve his own political hide.
David Speers is the host of Insiders, which airs on ABC TV at 9am on Sunday or on iview, and a co-presenter of Q&A.
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