Albo’s Dutton rebuttal not quite as dodgy as the Doc’s…

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21 Responses to Albo’s Dutton rebuttal not quite as dodgy as the Doc’s…

  1. C.L. says:

    Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has appeared at a press conference in Melbourne to say that ASIO has not raised any concerns over any Labor candidates over foreign interference from China.

    On Thursday, Defence Minister Peter Dutton told Question Time it was “open and obvious” who the Chinese Communist Party would back in the federal election.
    “We now see evidence that the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese government has … made a decision about who they will back in the next federal election and that is open and obvious,” Mr Dutton said, in a veiled swipe at Labor’s alleged softness on China.

    Mr Albanese addressed the issue today.

    “Can I say this? I met this week with the head of ASIO. I have regular security briefings,” he said.

    “I don’t talk about the detail of those security briefings, because we shouldn’t. That is the nature of it.

    “But I say this: I have total confidence in all of my candidates … the director general of ASIO has never raised a concern about any of my candidates.

    “I asked him today and he has reaffirmed that he has not raised concern about any of my candidates.”

    ——

    In The Australian

  2. C.L. says:

    Chinese spies sought to bankroll the campaigns of hand-picked NSW Labor candidates in the upcoming federal election in a plot foiled by ASIO.

    ASIO director-general Mike Burgess referred to the case earlier this week, without identifying the political party involved or the nation behind the plot, saying a wealthy “puppeteer” had worked with a local “cut-out” to try and secure the election of sympathetic candidates.

    Multiple national security and ALP sources have confirmed to The Australian that the case involved an attempt to subvert Labor’s NSW federal preselection process last year.

    Anthony Albanese and Scott Morrison were briefed on the conspiracy.

    In a statement on Thursday, NSW Labor Party general secretary Bob Nanva said the state branch had not been briefed on the matter by ASIO.

    “NSW Labor can confirm that no national security agency has ever raised these alleged matters with the parliamentary leadership or the organisational wing of the NSW Branch,” he said.

    But a senior national security source said ASIO raised the plot at the federal level with Mr Albanese, rather than with NSW party officials.

    Revealing the spy plot in his annual threat assessment on Wednesday, Mr Burgess said the agency was on high alert for political interference.

    “I can confirm that ASIO ­recently detected and disrupted a foreign interference plot in the lead-up to an election in Australia,” he said.

    “I’m not going to identify the jurisdiction because we are seeing attempts at foreign interference at all levels of government, in all states and territories.”

    Mr Burgess said case involved a “wealthy individual with direct and deep connections with a foreign government and its intelligence agencies”, who

    “I’ll call this person ‘the puppeteer’, although it’s important to ­remember that while the puppeteer pulled the strings, the foreign government called the shots.”

    […]

    The confirmation that the plot targeted potential Labor MPs came as Defence Minister Peter Dutton doubled down on his claim that China has decided to back Labor at the federal election.

    He said there was “intelligence” and open source information of links between China and the ALP.

    “I think there’s no doubt that there are elements within the Communist Party that would be very happy to see the back of our government,” he said.

    “From what I see, both open source and other intelligence that I see, it’s a statement of the obvious, and there are relationships going back to Sam Dastyari and Bob Carr is still very close to Beijing, and there are many others.”

    The attack followed his claim to parliament on Thursday that it was “open and obvious” that China was backing Labor to win the election.

    “We now see evidence that the Chinese Communist Party has also made a decision about who they’re going to back in the next federal election … and that is open and obvious,” Mr Dutton said.

    “And they have picked this bloke (Mr Albanese) as their candidate,” he added.

    Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull told ABC Radio the Mr Dutton’s attack was “a sign of desperation”.

    “(His comments) were purely for crass political advantage,” he said.

    ——

    In The Australian

  3. Not Trampis says:

    the two articles are in total contradiction to each other.
    ASIO would contact some-one at the ALP if the story was true and stop the pre-selection.
    Has this occurred?
    Dutton provided no evidence for his charges this morning confirming both he is one of the biggest grubs in canberra and there is no substance to anything he said.

  4. C.L. says:

    Dutton went too far, yes.

    I’m getting tired of Western ‘intelligence agencies’ whining about foreign interference, to be honest.

    They roll up at a senate hearing, claim they saved the country and ask for another couple of billion. It’s a scam.

  5. Boambee John says:

    Non Mentis

    Aldi bags full of banknotes ring any bells? Or they just an innocent attempt to encourage the use of Chinese restaurants in Sydney?

    PS, Albanese admitted to being briefed on something. Recent menu changes?

  6. Bruce of Newcastle says:

    ASIO would contact some-one at the ALP if the story was true and stop the pre-selection.

    LOL, as if. That would be “interfering in domestic politics”. The ABC would have conniptions.

  7. C.L. says:

    I suspect Homer is right.
    ASIO would not allow a spy to enter Parliament.

    Unless… they wanted to use him to snare others.

  8. Not Trampis says:

    At least two people would have been contacted. Albo and the NSW general secretary. None were.
    If the past is any guide the Chinese are pretty stupid when it comes to ‘influencing’ parties and very unsuccessful.

    Oh and ASIO would have every right to interfere if they believed manchurian candidates were possible.

  9. jupes says:

    Who cares about the Chicoms. What we really want to know is who the Garage Nazis backing.

  10. Boambee John says:

    Non Mentis

    Oh and ASIO would have every right to interfere if they believed manchurian candidates were possible.

    How have the oh-so-pompous left embraced fascism so enthusiastically? Because they see it as the path to power.

    From the WA State Security thread:

    I’m old enough to remember when the (now fascist) left were opposed to Police Special Branches (ie, State Security Investigation Groups). Now, they embrace them with enthusiasm. And from Non Mentis’ comment, it seems that they now have full confidence in the political propiety of ASIO!

  11. Buccaneer says:

    It seems the only reason they never trusted the apparatus of state control in the past was because they didn’t have their people in there. No such problem these days.

  12. Ed Case says:

    The ALP will have more than it’s fair share of Spooks, don’t worry about that.
    I’m old enough to remember when sections of the ALP were convinced Bob Hawke was being funded and promoted by the CIA.

  13. rosie says:

    It might be puffed up but China has been openly hostile to Australia for some time, and Morrison, to his credit has pushed back.
    Nick posted a very good article about it over at Adam’s cat last year.

  14. Lee says:

    Dutton provided no evidence for his charges this morning confirming both he is one of the biggest grubs in canberra and there is no substance to anything he said.

    You mean like Grace Tame’s evidence-free claim of a threatening phone call to her?

  15. Old Lefty says:

    In the glory days of the NSW Right, Bruvver Ducker at the NSW Labor Council was informing ASIO on Communist activity in the unions. And quite right too.

  16. Chris M says:

    China has been openly hostile to Australia for some time, and Morrison, to his credit has pushed back.

    He has, of course, achieved nothing.

    It’s called “Small criticism, big benefit”

    You can look it up. Means Chicoms understands there needs to be some vocal opposition to work the democratic system (appease the western masses) before the deal is done off camera.

  17. Not Trampis says:

    okay thanks to the ABC we can can now reconcile ASIO’s ‘investigations’ and the ALP’s lack of knowledge on this.
    Firstly ASIO if we are to believe them ensured these people did not go through to gain pre-selection because ASIO intervened directly.

    This leads me to doubt ASIO’s understanding of the political processes. You rarely spend money in attempting to gain a pre-selection in either party. You target a seat then ensure over a LONG time you are the main candidate from the faction that counts.
    Also very important every leader ensures the candidates who can win seats for the party are the best the party can offer. This means they know anything they need to know about the candidates. People do not win pre-selection contests simply by turning up.

    It sounds lot like ASIO is exaggerating a potential problem.

    Let us assume for a moment this plan outlined worked and the ALP suddenly had some Manchurian candidates. Would policy change? It is very hard to envisage. It isn’t a very vote winning strategy.

    I really do not think China nor ASIO come very well out of this episode

  18. C.L says:

    It sounds lot like ASIO is exaggerating a potential problem.

    Yes.

  19. Boambee John says:

    Non Mentis

    Also very important every leader ensures the candidates who can win seats for the party are the best the party can offer.

    Bridge for sale! If you genuinely believe that the current mob are “the best the party can offer”, you must be very depressed.

    The rest of your comment is even more trashy than usual.

  20. cuckoo says:

    They roll up at a senate hearing, claim they saved the country and ask for another couple of billion.

    That Mike Burgess is quite the drama queen. The steely intensity, the carefully timed pauses; he’s like an actor in a soap opera playing a spook.

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