Mike Pezzullo’s candid exchanges with Scott Briggs cannot be dismissed as a kind of political locker-room talk that means nothing.
Duncan Lewis doesn’t see the government’s power to cancel foreign deals as “a sinister thing”,but says it’s important research partnerships don’t become a casualty.
The current head of ASIO,Mike Burgess,said covert agents of foreign powers made up just a tiny minority of diaspora communities.
Australia's recently departed top spy Duncan Lewis has joined the board of defence giant Thales.
China's clandestine influence efforts in Australia are real,but reports suggesting it wanted to install an MP in our Parliament and take over our political system are wildly exaggerated.
The Chinese government’s covert operations in Australia are considerable. Can Australia push back without economic consequences?
The Prime Minister's comments came after former ASIO boss Duncan Lewis warned the Chinese government was seeking to"take over"Australia's political system.
Covert foreign intrusion into the heart of Australian politics is"something we need to be very,very careful about",Duncan Lewis says in the only interview he has given since retiring.
Retiring ASIO chief Duncan Lewis says an apolitical public service is a"precious jewel"and suggested a special training college could help the bureaucracy.
Of 22 terrorism incidents in Australia in the last five years,only one was allegedly perpetrated by a right-wing extremist,the spy agency's boss said.
"The advice that ASIO gave was not what was represented on the front page of The Australian newspaper,"ASIO boss Duncan Lewis said.