On Thursday, Australia’s Minister for Defence, Peter Dutton, criticised the Labor party for claiming that the Chinese Communist Party has decided who to support in the next federal elections. “They have picked this bloke [Labor leader Anthony Albanese] as that candidate,” Dutton said.
In response, Manager of Opposition Business Tony Burke raised a point of order saying, “Mr Dutton’s accusation that someone was guilty of treason or sedition had to be dealt with on the strictest terms.”
However, Dutton denied making any allegation against the leader of the opposition, Anthony Albanese. “Mine was on a reflection of the Chinese government, the actions of the Chinese government, and that is the context in which I made the comment and it is perfectly in order,” Dutton added.
When questioned about his remarks on ABC Radio on Friday, Dutton reiterated his allegation that the Chinese government has picked Albanese as its preferred prime ministerial candidate. However, he refused to provide any evidence.
Later, the security sources confirmed that Dutton was referring to the Chinese government’s plot to interfere in Australia’s upcoming federal elections with New South Wales (NSW) Labor’s pre-selection process.
Earlier, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) expressed concern over interference from a wealthy Chinese businessman trying to get Labor candidates elected in the upcoming federal elections. Reportedly, Chinese spies attempted to support NSW Labor candidates in elections to get them elected to the Parliament. However, the plot was thwarted by the ASIO. Despite foiling the attempt, the nation’s security circle continues to remain concerned about the Chinese government trying to jeopardise the upcoming elections.
The scheme was publicly revealed by the ASIO chief Mike Burgess during the annual threat assessment on Wednesday. Burgess, however, refused to reveal the country behind the operation. But The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age confirmed the role of a Chinese intelligence service that was involved during the pre-selection of the NSW Labor candidate.
Reportedly, both Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Albanese have been informed of the plot.
On Friday, Albanese said, “I have spoken to Mr Burgess today and he has reaffirmed that he has not raised concern about any of my candidates – I can’t be clearer about that,” adding, “National security is too important to engage in game-playing such as what we saw on the floor of the Parliament yesterday, however much the government needs a distraction.”
Playing political games with our security agencies goes against Australia’s national interests. pic.twitter.com/xqGkxXYrse
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) February 11, 2022
Similarly, Labor senator Kimberley Kitching expressed concern over the revelations. While speaking with Sky News, Kitching said, “We are aware that China has become increasingly aggressive, increasingly assertive in our region. We know that China, the CCP [Chinese Communist Party], has been in lots of public institutions and different levels of government.”
Likewise, NSW Labor General Secretary Bob Nanva said, “Foreign interference is a real and growing threat. We take seriously the advice of national security agencies and support the work they do to safeguard our democratic processes.”