Push for new laws to tackle foreign agents
FIVE federal by-elections could be compromised by foreign spies running interference operations that the Turnbull Government fears the nation’s current laws cannot combat.
Amid unprecedented concern about Chinese influence in Australia, Attorney-General Christian Porter has warned our national security safeguards remain “dangerously incomplete”.
The government yesterday sealed a deal with Labor to introduce new criminal offences for covert foreign interference and massively increase the penalties for espionage, treason and sabotage.
But the Opposition has so far refused to back plans to force individuals to publicly declare they are acting for foreign powers, which would expose the Chinese links of current and former Labor figures, particularly in NSW.
Mr Porter said the tough interference penalties and the foreign influence register needed to be activated before next month.
“We have now something we didn’t plan for and that is in several weeks we will have five critical by-elections,” he said.
It is a concern shared by some Labor MPs.
“Even in the time that it has taken to consider the Espionage and Foreign Interference Bill, the threat environment has changed and become more acute,” Mr Porter said.
“We now live in a time of unprecedented foreign intelligence activity against Australia with more foreign agents, from more foreign powers, using more tradecraft to engage in espionage and foreign interference than at any time since the Cold War.”
The new laws, which have caused major diplomatic tensions with China, were sparked by a top-secret government investigation of the Communist Party’s efforts to interfere in Australia.
The issue was thrust into the spotlight by the downfall of Labor senator Sam Dastyari because of his Chinese links.