Rude awakening when the cops call on journalist

When Annika Smethurst ­answered a knock at the door, she had no idea federal police were waiting outside to go through her stuff.

News Corp Sunday political editor Annika Smethurst in Canberra yesterday.

When News Corp’s Sunday political editor Annika Smethurst ­answered a knock at the door on Tuesday morning, she had no idea federal police were waiting outside to go through her cookbooks and Christmas decorations and riffle through her cupboards.

The officers had a warrant to raid her house over unauthorised disclosure of national security information after she reported on a secret plan 14 months ago to allow the Australian Signals Directorate to spy on its own citizens.

“I thought it was my house cleaner. It was five Australian Federal Police officers,” Smethurst told The Australian.

“They were polite but thorough … they went through everything in my house. My Christmas decorations, my drawers, my oven, page by page of every cookbook I own.

“They even found things I had lost, like my old shorthand notebook. I can never find a USB in my house but they managed to find every one. There was nowhere they didn’t search … it was confronting.”

Smethurst’s story, which outlined a proposal for the ASD to access people’s emails, bank records and text messages, included ­images of top-secret letters between Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo and Defence secretary Greg Moriarty. She knew the leak that underpinned the story was being investigated but had heard nothing from federal police since the time of publication. “I had no warning … When the story was published, there was an indication it was going to be investigated. In the 14 months, I haven’t heard anything, no correspondence,” Smethurst said.

The journalist and by that stage seven AFP officers were quickly joined by News Corp lawyers and a national media scrum.

Since the raid, Smethurst’s face has been all over front pages at home and appeared prominently in The New York Times and on the BBC’s website.

“It was uncomfortable to have photographers on my lawn. I understand the interest and having been in that position I accepted it, but I felt pretty bad for my neighbours,” she said. “The AFP officers were there so long that you start to make small talk.

“I was mainly concerned about my family and friends being concerned about me. I can look after myself … I’ve had messages from Indonesia, England, America and Hong Kong … everyone has been incredibly supportive.”

Despite her ordeal, Smethurst said she was “just doing her job” and believed the public had a right to know about plans to spy on Australians.