Australian politician ‘sold out’ to foreign regime after being recruited by spies, Asio boss says

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HairyO said:
Based on a gut feel based on hating liberal ideas...
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Based on two Liberals being sacked from cabinet positions due to dodgy China dealings since 2013, the fact the Liberals have held government since 2013, and that I believe this indiscretion being reported in 2024 is unlikely to predate 2013.

Carr is being thrown up, but there are no indiscretions on Carr’s record and he left parliment in 2013. Nor is there on Rudd or Keating (we already know it is not a PM anyway). Unlikely to be Dastyari - he was only elected in 2013 and has never been part of a sitting government - what access would he have?

We know Roberts and Robb were exposed for dodgy China dealings whilst in government.

Who are the Labor MP’s that are guilty of dodgy dealings with China whilst in government?
 
Festerz said:
Alex Turnbull, a businessman and son of former Liberal PM Malcolm Turnbull, , said that he believes he may have been the target of the approach referred to by Burgess.

Alex has confirmed he was approached by suspicious overseas operatives and that he passed on details of the approach to security agencies.

While declining to go into detail, he said that the family members of politicians needed better training about how to respond to suspicious approaches.

He told news.com.au the approach was “just so brazen”.

“My reaction was to express no interest and forward the details immediately to the authorities,” he said.
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Who did Malcolm sack from his Assistant Minister position 🤔
 

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QuietB said:
Based on two Liberals being sacked from cabinet positions due to dodgy China dealings since 2013, the fact the Liberals have held government since 2013, and that I believe this indiscretion being reported in 2024 is unlikely to predate 2013.

Carr is being thrown up, but there are no indiscretions on Carr’s record and he left parliment in 2013. Nor is there on Rudd or Keating (we already know it is not a PM anyway). Unlikely to be Dastyari - he was only elected in 2013 and has never been part of a sitting government - what access would he have?

We know Roberts and Robb were exposed for dodgy China dealings whilst in government.

Who are the Labor MP’s that are guilty of dodgy dealings with China whilst in government?
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Isnt the bigger issue the stories we dont know about? Im assuming this news is about things we werent previously aware of.

Brumby is also on the list, BTW.

And for all we know there are dozens of politicians who have taken money from China.

As for Dastayari, he had access to politicians everywhere. He was the numbers guy and why he made sense to be a target for China.
 
Black Diamond said:
Certainly seems like Labor is more vulnerable to Chinese interference.

Let’s not forget Mark McGowan and Dan Andrews. Surprised that matter couldn’t secure their funding for the Commonwealth Games.
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There is a difference between doing business with China and giving them access to state secrets.

Given Mark McGowan’s entire state revenue was underpinned by China buying WA rocks I think it is reasonable that they have relations.

Dan’s biggest export - tertiary education - was underpinned by China as well.
 
QuietB said:
There is a difference between doing business with China and giving them access to state secrets.

Given Mark McGowan’s entire state revenue was underpinned by China buying WA rocks I think it is reasonable that they have relations.

Dan’s biggest export - tertiary education - was underpinned by China as well.
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Andrews trip was covert. I am sure it was just higher education on their agenda. Certainly not belt and road.
 
Black Diamond said:
Andrews trip was covert. I am sure it was just higher education on their agenda. Certainly not belt and road.
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ooooh "belt and road" - ffs

The nature of Victoria’s BRI “deal”, contrary to some of the breathlesscommentary surrounding it, was a largely a hum-drum affair.

The deal amounted to two non-legally binding memorandums of understanding (MOUs), signed in October 2018 and October 2019. These spoke vaguely of mutual commitments to “promote practical cooperation” of Chinese firms in Victorian infrastructure and Victorian firms in “China and third-party markets”.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison himself also stated in an interview with a Chinese magazine in November 2018 that

"Australia welcomes the contribution the Belt and Road Initiative can make in meeting the infrastructure needs of the region, and we’re keen to strengthen engagement with China in regional trade and infrastructure developments that align within the international standards of governance and transparency."

theconversation.com

Why scrap Victoria’s ‘meaningless’ Belt and Road deal? Because it sends a powerful message to Beijing

The move is designed to demonstrate to the Australian public, the Chinese leadership, and Australia’s allies that Canberra is holding firm in its ‘push back’ against Beijing.
theconversation.com theconversation.com

Everything was political for the Morrison government (and apparently quite fluid) :rolleyes:
 
Carn The Berries said:
Heard a legal professor on ABC News this morning talking about last night's "revelation". He was of the strong opinion that, based on the minimal details provided by the ASIO Chief, that a crime would still have been committed even before the updated legislation came into effect.

I have to say, this announcement was pretty reckless and seemingly unnecessary by the Chief. From the sounds of it the incident(s) occurred many years ago so...
a) why now?
b) why not name who it was?
c) why wasn't it pursued (or if it was, why wasn't it made public)?

Seems a very un-needed red-herring to me. If it's as serious as he makes out, surely it should be followed up?
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Name them.and you get a lawsuit amd have to then pay up or reveal in court what our intelligence agencies actually know about Xis infiltration of Australia and how we know (cutting off future information)

On SM-A125F using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
Rob R said:
Name them.and you get a lawsuit amd have to then pay up or reveal in court what our intelligence agencies actually know about Xis infiltration of Australia and how we know (cutting off future information)

On SM-A125F using BigFooty.com mobile app
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Which goes to my original point... Why now? What does it possibly achieve except spread innuendo?
 
spinynorman said:
We know numerous Labor Right politicians, including Bob Carr and Bob Hawke, were assets to the United States and would work with the CIA to keep the ALP and union movement "moderate", but I'm guessing ASIO wouldn't care about that so much.
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Bob Carr pretty obviously works for Xi against our interests and the US

On SM-A125F using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
Rob R said:
A warning that Xis efforts to infiltrate and undermine our democracy are increasing.

On SM-A125F using BigFooty.com mobile app
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If that is the only reason then there is absolutely no reason to be so specific as to drum up suspicion as to who might be involved. He's the head of ASIO giving his annual threat assessment, a simple explanation of the current landscape and possibility/probability/likelihood of foreign interference with elected officials would have sufficed.

His speech was the espionage equivalent of New Idea.
 

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Carn The Berries said:
Which goes to my original point... Why now? What does it possibly achieve except spread innuendo?
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It has already been explained why this disclosure happened. ASIO aren't concerned about the political shitfight, this is a megaphone warning for other politicians and officials that could find themselves compromised, willingly or otherwise.
 
blueboy25 said:
Spud said he would put money on it being a Labor MP from NSW.
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l were quickly on the front foot this morning making accusations.
Threw the bait out, then a few hours later said that ASIO and the Government were right in not naming the culprit. What a bunch a back stabbing cretins the LNP are.
 
Crankyhawk said:
He wouldn’t be the one that was discussed today though - can’t see how a nsw labor mp would be meeting family of an lnp PM
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And ASIO stated clearly that it happened before the new legislation in 2018 - Shaoquett Moselmane got in trouble after that. I doubt that a NSW upper house member has access to much either. It is not Shaoquett Moselmane even if he sounds like a complete twat.

If it was a Labor person there is no way the Liberals would be so quiet. And politicians know who it is.
 
Crankyhawk said:
He wouldn’t be the one that was discussed today though - can’t see how a nsw labor mp would be meeting family of an lnp PM
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To be clear I'm not suggesting he is the one at all. I have no interest in the guessing game stuff.

Just pointing out the NSW Labor Party (like others) had some weird things happening around the timeframe Burgess is referencing.

History tells us that a lot of the people who seek and end up getting elected into political office do not have their nation's long term interests at heart, let alone the political party that gives them pre-selection. They proudly serve the SFI party (self feckin' interest).

That's why despite my strong interest in politics from a policy perspective, I have never been and will never be a member of any political party. And not just because, as Groucho said decades ago, their appallingly low standards would be self-evident by accepting me as a member.

And btw, in the Maiden article I linked Alex Turnbull said he was told that the Chinese group that approached him had links to a former NSW Labor state MP.
 
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