Bad night at office as Australian Federal Police raid Labor

THE first sign of the drama that was about to engulf Labor’s campaign headquarters in Melbourne’s Docklands came about 4pm Thursday.

• Labor offices raided over NBN leaks

THE first sign of the drama that was about to engulf Labor’s campaign headquarters in Melbourne’s Docklands came about 4pm yesterday.

Andrew Byrne, a policy adviser who works for Right-wing powerbroker and Bill Shorten ally Stephen Conroy, took a call from the Australian Federal Police.

The AFP was investigating alleged breaches of the Crimes Act, believed to relate to receiving and disseminating Commonwealth documents.

Mr Byrne was told to get up to Senator Conroy’s offices at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices at 4 Treasury Place in Melbourne’s parliament precinct, where police would be searching for documents allegedly leaked from the NBN company.

Police had invited Senator Conroy to be there but he was in Sydney and couldn’t make it in time. He cancelled his dinner and jumped on the first flight back to Melbourne.

Mr Byrne’s name was on the search warrant, as was that of Ryan Hamilton, the man who had been seconded to campaign headquarters as media director.

Officers are let into a house believed to be that of Labor staffer Andrew Byrne. Picture: Mark Stewart

Police at the Brunswick home. Picture: Mark Stewart

Police began their search of the home just before 11pm. Picture: Mark Stewart

Neighbours noticed police sitting in cars outside the home from 4:30pm. Picture: Mark Stewart

Mr Hamilton’s usual occupation is as an adviser to Jason Clare, Labor’s shadow communications minister, who had been prosecuting Labor’s case against the Coalition’s new NBN plan.

Mr Byrne is employed by Senator Conroy to work on his NBN Senate select committee research, and also helps Mr Clare with his NBN policy and scrutiny work.

Mr Clare was at a “Champions of the West dinner’’ at Bankstown Sports Club in the election battleground of western Sydney, alongside Mr Shorten, federal Treasurer Scott Morrison and celebrities including former Australian Test captain Michael Clarke and TV host Larry Emdur.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten with communication spokesman Jason Clare. Picture Lyndon Mechielsen

He was spotted rushing out of the room about 7.45pm to take calls on his phone.

Staff at Labor headquarters in Melbourne were waiting to see if their temporary offices would be raided, and were told it was likely any search would be today.

AFP agents carried away numerous documents from Senator Conroy’s office. Mr Byrne’s home was raided by police at 10.40 last night.

One MP told the Herald Sun there had been numerous leaks from NBN critical of the government’s policy.

“A leak? It’s been a torrent,’’ the MP said.

Agents carried away numerous documents from Senator Stephen Conroy’s office. Picture: AAP

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