MP has house raided by ASIO
THE Sydney home of NSW Labor MP Shaoquett Moselmane has been searched by federal police and ASIO over claims of foreign interference, believed to be from China.
The AFP yesterday confirmed it searched a home in Sydney as part of an ongoing investigation and that there was no threat to the community. NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay said she’d been told police and ASIO intelligence officers entered Mr Moselmane’s Rockdale home and had a warrant for his parliamentary office.
Asked if the searches related to suspicions of Chinese government infiltration, Ms McKay said: “No, this came as a surprise to me.
“It’s dreadfully concerning, it’s terrible.
“There’s an expectation on MPs that, whatever they do, it’s in the best interests of the people of the state. I’d hope every single MP in the parliament – not just on the Labor side but the Liberal and National Party side and crossbench – has that at the heart of their actions.”
Mr Moselmane’s membership of NSW Labor would be suspended and the upper house MP would no longer sit in the Labor parliamentary caucus, Ms McKay added.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was aware of an investigation that had been going on for some time.
“It’s elevated to a new level today,” he said in Canberra.
“The need to take action is necessary and the government is absolutely determined to ensure that nobody interferes with Australia’s activities.
“We won’t cop anyone coming and seeking to interfere in our political system.”
Federal Attorney-General Christian Porter said yesterday that espionage and foreign interference threatened Australian national security.
“It is worth saying that the government is sharply focused on activity in this area, as evidenced by the complete rewrite of the laws applying to espionage and foreign interference, and also foreign influence,” Mr Porter said in a statement.
Mr Moselmane in April stood down as assistant president of the NSW upper house after praising Chinese President Xi Jinping’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, saying Mr Xi had demonstrated “unswerving leadership” and decisiveness.