One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts has suggested the former politician who spied on Australia “could be in this building right now” as he pressed the government on why the person’s identity had been kept secret.
“When will the government name the former Australian politician that ASIO chief Mike Burgess yesterday referenced as someone who sold-out Australia to advance the interests of a foreign regime?” he asked government minister Katy Gallagher in Senate question time.
Malcolm Roberts pressed Katy Gallagher on why the identity of the former politican had not been revealed.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Gallagher said the government had confidence in the security and intelligence services. “[Burgess] said he made a deliberate decision not to name the individual, and he provided reasons for this, and the government respects his judgment. He has our 100 per cent support. He has the full picture and he made an informed decision,” she said.
Roberts then asked a follow-up question about the implications of not knowing. “Former parliamentarians, as I understand it, have an automatic pass to enter Parliament House,” he said.
“The former politician who sold out this country could be in this building right now, in a parliamentarian’s office and the officeholder, MP or senator would have no idea they’re talking to a spy. Why won’t you name the traitor now?”
Gallagher said rules for Parliament House pass holders existed and were not the responsibility of the government.
“But in relation to the actual question you ask, which was about naming an individual, it’s a matter for the director-general of ASIO. If he were to choose to name an individual, that’s a matter for him,” she said.
“As part of his annual threat assessment, he made a decision to raise the issue, I think, and to rightly point to the fact foreign interference is an issue. It’s an issue that all of us as members of parliament need to be aware of.”