A Sydney man has been arrested under Australia’s foreign interference laws for sharing what he claims was open-source information. It could be a test case for the new laws.
If you were to believe the Morrison government, you’d think Anthony Albanese as prime minister would sell out Australia’s interests to China, give criminals a break, and perhaps sneak in a death tax.
ASIO is changing the language it uses to describe violent threats, because it says the current labels, such as “left”, “right” and “Islamic” are no longer fit for purpose.“
There is a deep and widening gulf in trust and communications between the agencies and the media that has clearly boiled over in ways that damage both institutions.
A member of the Proud Boys at a rally in Melbourne in January 2021.
James Ross/AAP
Amid increasingly sophisticated ploys online, it can be difficult to tell the difference between innocent social networking and a national security offence.
Some changes in the new security bill submitted to parliament last week are welcome, but others require careful scrutiny, especially when the rights of children are at stake.
My assessment is that there are about 150 to 300 core right-wing activists in New Zealand. This might sound modest – but proportionate to population, it’s similar to extremist numbers in Germany.
Michelle Grattan about the week in politics, including the implementation of an emergency plan to tackle the spread of coronavirus, climate change policy, national security and Bettina Arndt
Members of the public mourn at a makeshift memorial following the Christchurch mosque attacks in March 2019.
AAP/David Alexander
In the wake of last year’s Christchurch mosque attacks, New Zealand’s intelligence agencies must become more transparent in their reporting on the risk of right-wing terrorism.
Mike Burgess, the head of ASIO, warns there are more foreign agents operating in Australia than at the height of the cold war - and many of them have the capability, intent, and persistence to cause significant harm.
The member for Canning has made a name for himself as a hawk on foreign influence in Australian politics.
Lukas Coch/AAP
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Andrew Hastie on foreign influence, security and veteran mental health.
In this podcast, Andrew Hastie speaks with Michelle Grattan about growing concerns over Chinese influence in Australian politics, security clearances for politicians and the mental health of veterans.
Chair in Global Islamic Politics, Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation; Scholar -In-Residence Asia Society Australia, Deakin University