Federal police raid News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst’s home over a secret government spy plan story
Scott Morrison has refused to condemn a seven hour federal police raid that was carried out on the home of News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst over a story about a secret government plan to spy on Australians.
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- Annika Smethurst raid was more than an invasion of privacy
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has refused to condemn a seven hour raid on a journalist’s home.
Mr Morrison was barraged with questions about the raid on Annika Smethurst’s Canberra apartment yesterday when he arrived in London, and repeatedly said he would not comment on security matters.
He referred the questions to the AFP, saying “I believe in freedom of press very strongly. The AFP conduct investigations they do on their own initiative”.
But when asked if the raid, which included an examination of the journalist’s underwear drawer was over the top, Mr Morrison replied: “I couldn’t comment on that, that’s what you’re putting to me, these are matters for the Australian Federal Police”.
Asked if “the look” of having police raid a journalist’s home bothered him, he replied “it never troubles me our laws being upheld”.
The New York Times and CNN are both reporting the story of the raid internationally. Smethurst is The Sunday Telegraph’s political editor.
Asked if journalists should be exempt from laws that see them raided for reporting on public interest matters, the PM said he had “no plans” to make changes to existing laws.
Asked whether the Australian Signals Directorate would have the power to spy on Australians — the subject of Smethurst’s report — Mr Morrison said he didn’t make comment on security matters.
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Ms Smethurst was at home preparing to leave for work on Tuesday morning when several Australian Federal Police officers arrived with a warrant from an ACT magistrate giving them authority to search her home, computer and mobile phone.
Ms Smethurst complied with the warrant but declined to answer questions apart from confirming her identity.
News Corp Australia, publisher of The Sunday Telegraphand dailytelegraph.com.au, has condemned the raid.
“The Australian public’s right to know information about government laws that could impact their lives is of fundamental importance in our society,” it said in a statement
“This raid demonstrates a dangerous act of intimidation towards those committed to telling uncomfortable truths. The raid was outrageous and heavy handed.
“News Corp Australia has expressed the most serious concerns about the willingness of governments to undermine the Australian public’s right to know about important decisions Governments are making that can and will impact ordinary Australian citizens.
“What’s gone on this morning sends clear and dangerous signals to journalists and newsrooms across Australia. This will chill public interest reporting.”
In a statement released at 12.18pm, the AFP said: “The Australian Federal Police can confirm it has executed a search warrant at a residence in the ACT.
“The matter relates to an investigation into the alleged unauthorised disclosure of national security information that was referred to the AFP.
“Police will allege the unauthorised disclosure of these specific documents undermines Australia’s national security. No arrests are expected today as a result of this activity.”
Under the plan, emails, bank accounts and text messages of Australians could be secretly accessed by digital spies without a trace, provided the Defence and Home Affairs ministers approved.
The Government declined to comment on the report at the time but the raid has come just three weeks after the federal election returned the Morrison Government to power and ensured Home Affairs minister Peter Dutton would remain in his mega-portfolio.
Ms Smethurst’s original story included images of top-secret letters between the secretary of Home Affairs, Mike Pezzullo, and his counterpart in Defence, Greg Moriarty, outlining a plan to potentially allow government hackers to “proactively disrupt and covertly remove” onshore cyber threats by “hacking into critical infrastructure.”
Present laws do not allow ASD to spy on Australian citizens.
That power is left with the AFP and Australian Security Intelligence Organisation — the domestic spy agency.
Ms Smethurst’s story revealed both Mr Dutton and then-Defence Minister Marise Payne had seen the proposal but that no formal proposal for legislative amendments had been presented to the government.
The proposal was hugely controversial within the Government at the time of its proposal, with then-PM Malcolm Turnbull rejecting the notion among other Cabinet moderates.
Ms Smethurst is a two-time winner of the prestigious Walkley Award for Scoop of the Year.
In 2017 she won the award for her series of articles which revealed former Health Minister Sussan Ley had charged taxpayers almost $40,000 for several trips to Queensland, among them a househunting visit to the Gold Coast.
She took the same gong in 2015 for her expose on the Bronwyn Bishop chopper scandal.
The ASD is the subject of the hit Foxtel drama Secret City, based on a series of best-selling books by journalists Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann about sinister overreach by Government intelligence agencies.
It comes as 2GB Radio announcer Ben Fordham revealed this afternoon that he is being investigated by the AFP about a story he broadcast and published online.
On Monday, the Drive host told listeners that a senior source in the Home Affairs office revealed that up to six boats had recently attempted journeys to Australia from Sri Lanka.
However, after revealing the information on-air, his executive producer received a call from a Department of Home Affairs employee.
.@BenFordham on the Home Affairs Department's leaked information that up to six boats are attempting to come to Australia: There is not a hope in hell of me revealing my sources. I work in a business that’s based on freedom of the press.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) June 4, 2019
MORE: https://t.co/8OO6XZzVYi #SkyLiveNow pic.twitter.com/4H8hDIO5Xc
“The official told us that the information we had shared was the result of an unauthorised disclosure of information, in other words, information we weren’t supposed to know,” Mr Fordham said.
“We were told the Department of Home Affairs would like me to assist that investigation.”
Mr Fordham said he was told he was not the target of the investigation but the source who leaked the information was.
The radio presenter was adamant he would not reveal his source.
“There’s not a hope in hell of that happening, under no circumstances will I be revealing my sources on this story or any story,” he said.
“I work in a business that’s based on freedom of the press and shining a torch in areas where there is shadow and it’s not fair to the people who assist me in my work to give them up the moment the AFP comes knocking.”
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