Australian Federal Police raiding Melbourne Labor offices
UPDATE: BILL Shorten’s election campaign was rocked when police raided a Labor office and campaign worker’s home as part of a probe into the leaking of secret NBN documents. Raids at the home continued into the early hours of the morning.
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BILL Shorten’s election campaign was rocked when police raided a Labor office and campaign worker’s home as part of a probe into the leaking of secret NBN documents.
The Australian Federal Police executed a search warrant naming two staffers who were working in Labor’s election campaign headquarters in Melbourne.
The Herald Sun can reveal the leaks began shortly after the Coalition came to government in September 2013, but the content had become more serious in recent months.
About a dozen separate leaks have been identified by the company, which believes it has a Labor mole operating in its ranks.
The staffers are campaign media director Ryan Hamilton, who works for Labor communications spokesman Jason Clare, and policy adviser Andrew Byrne, who works for Labor powerbroker and key Shorten ally Stephen Conroy.
Police raided Senator Conroy’s offices on level 4 in the Commonwealth Public Offices at 4 Treasury Place in Melbourne early in the evening.
Mr Byrne’s home in Brunswick was searched by police shortly before 11pm.
Officers entered the home after four young people, believed to be ALP staffers, arrived at the address.
The raids took about six hours, concluding shortly before 5am.
One police officer was seen carrying a plastic bag containing items.
Earlier in the morning about 2am two other officers left the house carrying black luggage cases.
Police declined to comment to waiting media.
Neighbours reported seeing police waiting in cars outside the home from 4.30pm.
The story was first reported by heraldsun.com.au at 7.48pm.
The raids follow a complaint lodged by the NBN Co to the AFP late last year relating to leaked NBN documents, which allegedly contained commercial-in-confidence information.
Some of the information was used in media reports in February, which claimed that a new national broadband network developed by then communications minister, now Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull was inferior and falling behind in its delivery benchmarks.
It’s understood about a dozen NBN employees have been interviewed.
An NBN source said there had been a financial cost to the organisation as a result of the confidential information being leaked.
“When you’re looking at an infrastructure project this size, and it is being undermined from within, there are going to be costs and delays,’’ a source said.
Mr Shorten’s campaign was thrown into turmoil as Labor MPs rushed to brief journalists that the timing of the raids was politically motivated.
Labor MPs told the Herald Sun the raids were “outrageous” given other breaches — particularly the alleged leak of a confidential draft of the Defence White Paper — had not resulted in a police investigation.
Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus confirmed the raids.
“I can confirm the office of Labor senator Stephen Conroy has this evening been searched by the AFP.
“I understand that two Labor staff members have also been named in warrants relating to this matter,’’ he said.
“I understand these searches are in relation to documents relating to NBN Co. I have no further information about these documents.
“But what we do know about NBN Co is that Malcolm Turnbull was responsible for massive cost blowouts and serious delays — he wrecked the NBN. There is no doubt there would be many, many documents that would be of major embarrassment to Malcolm Turnbull.
“What we also know is that there have been many other serious leaks out of government — including relating to national security, defence, and the federal Budget — and none of them have resulted in Federal Police raids.
“Tonight’s events are unprecedented — we have never witnessed such an extraordinary action during a federal election campaign.’’
Labor frontbencher Tony Burke said the ALP had asked police to investigate more than 20 alleged leaks and he questioned why this one was being investigated.
“The thing that I also know with this is, during the life of this parliament ... we’ve asked about leaks from all parts of this government, right through to the National Security Committee of Cabinet,” he told ABC.
“I know how many of those inquiries have resulted in police raids. The government hasn’t previously acted on referrals to the AFP.”
Mr Shorten was aware of the “extraordinary developments”, which he said related to Mr Turnbull’s time as communications minister.
Senator Conroy was flying from Sydney to Melbourne, and declined to comment once he had landed.
Mr Clare, who was at a forum in his western Sydney, electorate said: “There is not much I can say. I’ve only just been told there have been raids. That’s all I can say.’’
In a statement this morning the AFP confirmed that it executed two search warrants in Melbourne as part of an investigation concerning allegations of the unauthorised disclosure of Commonwealth information.
“These allegations were the subject of a referral from the National Broadband Network Company (NBN Co), received by the AFP on 9 December 2015,” it said.
“This investigation has been ongoing since that date.
This investigation has been undertaken independent of government, and decisions regarding yesterday’s activity were made by the AFP alone.”
The AFP said the searches conducted in East Melbourne and Brunswick were part of a “phased approach that the AFP has undertaken” regarding the investigation.
“The next phase of this investigation involves the examination and analysis of material collected during these search warrants,” it said.
“The federal government and opposition were appropriately notified and advised of operational activity regarding this matter after it commenced yesterday.
“The AFP has received assistance from the NBN Co in this investigation, which included facilitating interviews with a number of NBN Co employees as part of yesterday’s activity.
“This investigation remains ongoing, and the AFP will provide further detail when it is appropriate to do.”
The company issued a statement saying: “NBN Co can confirm it is assisting the Australian Federal Police with an ongoing investigation. As this investigation is ongoing, it is not appropriate to comment any further.’’
Mr Turnbull told reporters as he left Bankstown Sports Club en route to Tasmania that the matter was entirely for the AFP.
“They operate entirely independent of government. So it’s a matter for the AFP — the Labor Party know that as well as you and I do,’’ he said.
Originally published as Australian Federal Police raiding Melbourne Labor offices
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