‘Friends’ among countries seeking to interfere in Australian life: ASIO boss Mike Burgess
The nation’s top spy says ASIO has disrupted foreign interference operations from three or four countries, including some that are “friends” to Australia.
ASIO director-general Mike Burgess said the spy agency was still concerned about foreign interference and espionage, even as it increased the terror threat level due to concerns about the likelihood of home-grown politically motivated violence.
Previous Home Affairs minister Clare O’Neil named Iran as one of those countries, using a speech in February to detail how ASIO had disrupted its operatives spying on an Iranian Australian and invading their home.
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Mr Burgess again highlighted on Sunday that Iran had been caught conducting foreign interference activities in Australia but said it was not the only country.
“There are a range of countries that will do it, not just Iran. Many countries that would surprise your viewers,” he told ABC’s Insiders.
“When we find it, we deal with it effectively.”
Some reports have also raised concerns about India’s activities, but Mr Burgess would not answer whether that was one of the countries he was talking about.
He said it was a matter for ministers to decide whether countries should be named publicly for their actions.
“That’s not to rule out … that from time to time, I might actually call out certain countries because I think as Director General of Security, I have an important role in explaining the threats to the people we protect, and that may well include calling out certain countries at certain times. But generally, that’s a matter that I leave for government,” he said.
“I can think of at least three or four (countries) that we’ve actually actively found involved in foreign interference in Australian diaspora communities.
“Some of them would surprise you, and some of them are also our friends.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would not be naming further countries that had been caught interfering in Australian affairs.
“It’s important, our priority here isn’t to get a headline. Our priority here is to keep Australians safe,” he told reporters.
“So we are careful about, I’m careful about information that I give out being consistent with the advice that I receive from the agencies.”
