Hi Maverick (Mavs),

Thanks for the info.

Good to know.

We've known from the outset that the person involved hadn't broken any laws. The Feds said that at the same time as announcing the existence of the so-called 'spy'.

We've also known from the outset that the event happened before the enactment of the new laws (2018) and can assume that the new laws were partially a reaction to the unearthing of the 'spy' ring.

Speculating about who the spy was or which group he/she belonged to is futile. We don't even know that the person was in the Federal Parliament. So the potential candidates number close to a thousand. I do however have a sneaking feeling that if the 'culprit' was a Liberal, the ALP wouldn't be so keen to keep the name secret.

But its all a storm in a teacup. Spying like this has been going on for millennia. (The Greeks sent spies to check on the invading Persian army in 480BC. They were found out and Xerxes gave them a tour of the camp since he wanted them to know just how large his army was).

I think this is just a don't-forget-us moment for ASIO/AFP. Not quite a beat up but not at all as surprising or scary as the Feds and media are making out. Take it as given that the Chinese are spying on us. Take it as given that we haven't unearthed all their operatives. But also take it as given that we are doing the exact same thing to them.

Hi mhaze

Surely nobody could be venturing Mike Burgess triggered this spies in Parliament affair

as a DISTRACTION from major ASIO/Police embarrassment over their adoption of an FBI like ENTRAPMENT STRATEGY in:

"ASIO BOSS DEFENDS UNDERCOVER POLICE OPERATION TARGETING BOY WITH AUTISM"

of March 4 2024 at http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/mar/04/asio-boss-defends-undercover-police-operation-targeting-boy-with-autism

"...the boy, known by the pseudonym Thomas Carrick, was granted a permanent stay on terror-related charges [in October 2023] after a magistrate found police “fed his fixation” with Islamic State during the operation and “doomed” his efforts at rehabilitation.

The Australian federal police deputy commissioner, Ian McCartney, told a parliamentary committee that a “decision was made jointly between the AFP, Asio and Victoria police that the threat – the real threat – had escalated to such a level that we had to take action”.

...The head of domestic intelligence agency Asio, Mike Burgess, said he would not “go into great details on this case” during an interview with Guardian Australia’s Australian Politics podcast.

McCartney authorised a major controlled operation into the boy, which eventually resulted in his arrest soon after his 14th birthday, in October 2021 – six months AFTER HIS PARENTS
had APPROACHED Victoria police for help dealing with his fixation.

But when asked to explain Asio’s role in signing off on the joint operation and whether it had done any soul-searching over the matter, Burgess said the AFP was conducting a review..."

I mean ASIO and the police wouldn't seek to entrap a 14 year old boy to put the frighteners into other Muslim youngsters while wracking up a "win" according to the low standards of ASIO's FBI colleagues
- when even the UK's MI5 think entrapment is illegal?!

Here's a legal discussion of the above "Thomas Carrick" Entrapment case http://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/is-entrapment-is-a-defence-to-criminal-charges-in-australia/

It is possible "Thomas Carrick" and his parents have grounds to sue ASIO and the police forces involved. This is because the actions of ASIO and the police forces involved further radicalised "Thomas Carrick".

Even "The covert operative behind both personas appeared to be concerned about the state of their conversations with" ["Thomas Carrick"]

This police further radicalisation of "Thomas Carrick" occurred even after his parents approached the police about their worries about their son.

Can that be summarized in twenty words.

y?