’It’s not me’: Ernest Wong speaks out after spy agency claims

The former Labor MP who was found by ICAC to have engaged in corrupt conduct has flatly denied he is the MP at the centre of bombshell ASIO claims.

Former NSW Labor MP Ernest Wong – who was found by ICAC to have engaged in corrupt conduct over Chinese donations – has flatly denied he is the MP at the centre of bombshell ASIO claims regarding a sting targeting a former prime minister’s family.

ASIO boss Mike Burgess revealed on Wednesday night that a mystery former Australian politician had “sold out their country, party and former colleagues” after being recruited by spies for a foreign regime”.

In the speech, he claimed a spy network he called the “A-team” had successfully cultivated and recruited a former Australian politician and had flirted with a failed plan to target the family of a former PM.

Revealing he’s never been contacted by ASIO about the claim, Ernest Kwok Chung Wong, has told news.com.au that he knows nothing about the spy agency allegation and has never met with former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s son who believes he may have been a target.

“No, never,’’ Mr Wong said.

NSW Labor MP Ernest Wong has denied he is the MP at the centre of ASIO claims regarding a sting targeting a former PM’s family.

“ASIO did contact me about five or six years ago, they did contact me for very general inquiries in regards to how the Chinese committee groups operated in Australia,” he said.

He claimed they asked “very general questions”.

The spy boss did not disclose the country involved in recruiting the representative, or any other information which might identify them, but said he had decided to declassify the information to warn the group that “their cover was blown”.

“This politician sold out their country, party and former colleagues to advance the interests of the foreign regime. At one point, the former politician even proposed bringing a prime minister’s family member into the spy’s orbit. Fortunately that plot did not go ahead but other schemes did,” Mr Burgess said.

Liberal MP Peter Dutton told broadcaster Ray Hadley that he would “put money” on the politician being a former NSW Labor MP.

But if that is the case, Mr Wong said it’s not him, adding he’s never even met Alex Turnbull.

“No, not at all,’’ Mr Wong said.

“I know nothing about it. ASIO has never contacted me about the issue that you raised (Alex Turnbull).

“I don’t think I’ve seen him once.”

Twitter photo of Alex Turnbull, son of Australia's former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has previously found that former NSW MLC Ernest Wong engaged in “serious corrupt conduct by misusing the privileges to which he was entitled as a member of the Legislative Council in relation to a scheme to circumvent electoral funding laws and by attempting to procure a witness to give false testimony”.

The investigation found that the true source of the $100,000 cash donation to the ALP, delivered to the NSW Labor head office on 7 April 2015, was businessman, Huang Xiangmo.

According to ICAC, in June 2018 it was reported that Australian security agencies detected that Mr Wong was being cultivated by Chinese government intelligence operatives as part of a long-term operation.

Asked about these claims on Thursday, Mr Wong said he was trying to rebuild his life.

“Look, frankly, I have gone through a very difficult time. I just do my own legal practice,’’ he said.

“My health has been very negatively impacted. I tried to recover (and live) as a normal Australian senior citizen. I’m over 60 now.

“I don’t want to use the word paranoid, but I still think that there is a bit of misunderstanding on (ASIO’s) part in how these community groups work in Australia.

“The groups are just like normal church groups. Of course, they’re all from a country where they see themselves to be a part of their homeland.

“I think that’s quite normal. I don’t see any particular activities between them and the government.”

ASIO boss Mike Burgess revealed on Wednesday night that a mystery former Australian politician had ‘sold out their country’. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“I’ve said enough about that. I just stand by what I have said in the (ICAC) inquiry,’’ he said.

The former federal treasurer Joe Hockey said on Thursday it was “absurd” that an unnamed former politician who “sold out” to a foreign regime after being recruited by spies is able to “walk off into the sunset” without their name being revealed.

Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s son Alex told news.com.au on Thursday that he was the target of suspected Chinese agents over an infrastructure project, revealing he immediately rejected the approach and reported it to spy agencies.

Mr Turnbull has told news.com.au that while he did not definitively know if he was the family member ASIO chief Mike Burgess was referring to in his speech, his experience fits the sting outlined by the spy agency boss.

Former Treasurer Joe Hockey says it is ‘absurd’ that an unnamed former politician who ‘sold out’ to a foreign regime is able to ‘walk off into the sunset’.

Describing the approach as “brazen”, the activist and investor said he was contacted around 2017 when his father was Prime Minister, and he was offered equity in a company.

“It was just so brazen,” Mr Turnbull told news.com.au.

“My reaction was to express no interest and forward the details immediately to the authorities.”

Mr Turnbull said he was told that the group that approached him had links to a former NSW Labor state MP.

He said as an investor he was often approached while his father served as Prime Minister, and he was acutely aware of the potential issues and reported all suspicious contacts to Australia’s intelligence services.

He warned that the approaches from overseas business players were “constant”.

“Families need to have a contact to report these approaches to,’’ he said.

“Inoculation is cheap and good”.

The boss of Australia’s domestic intelligence organisation revealed this week an alleged plot from “several years ago”.

“The spies pose as consultants, headhunters, local government officials, academics and think tank researchers, claiming to be from fictional companies such as Data 31,” Mr Burgess said.

“Most commonly, they offer their targets consulting opportunities, promising to pay thousands of dollars for reports on Australian trade, politics, economics, foreign policy, defence and security.”