ASIO has revealed that a "wealthy individual" with roots in Australia and ties to a foreign government hired someone for "foreign interference operations" in an Australian election. Particular election not revealed.

The person used existing relationships with politicians, staffers and journalists to select potential targets. Indebtedness and favours were part of the plan, a foreign government was also involved, and foreign agents would have been working as political staffers for the targets.

I wonder why we have not heard of this before now, and if the "wealthy individual" will be dealt with in an appropriate manner. Where is the outrage.

Albanese has comment on the report. Nothing seen from our so-called leader.

We’ve seen enough political corruption to believe that this event is normal, not new.

My immediate reaction to this news was to wonder why it was even mentioned.

Aren’t all politicians on the take and scratching backs all around town?

Dan

These are just the battle lines being drawn for the coming election.

The combination of the notion that Albanese will be "soft on China" plus a traditional "reds under the bed" scare are typical of a government spooked by the polls and with not much in the way of achievements to run on.

The timing of the announcement also fits well with the recent parliamentary embarrassment and is a handy distraction. There will be a lot of noise in the coming weeks but probably with no real substance.

Dan,

Perhaps you are right. I get less enamoured with Australia ever day. It's the land of my birth, but given the behaviour of the 'elites', I am seeing less and less reason why a nobody like me should give a toss.

Hi rache,

A pathetic attempt by an under-performing Coalition to belt Labor over the head with their Little China Stick. The likes of Dud Dutton are an absolute danger to Australian security with his warmongering talk.

It means nothing when the government says that the opposition will be "soft on China". Note that the opposition doesn't respond to such nonsense. The other silly comment is that China wants a Labor government, from people who don't even know - or care - what Australia wants! If we don't have bipartisanship on Australia's security, then we are even more rooted than I think we are. I believe that we do have bipartisanship, irrespective of what I think of Labor on other matters.

And, I'll say this, as a ridgy didge conservative: anyone who thinks that the Morrison government deserves to be re-elected is daft. Scott Morrison has been an illiberal, void-of-principle disaster. He is the one with the 'el presidente' complex; he is the one who should take the blame. I don’t think he is the 'psycho' one of his Liberal colleagues called him, but she was right about him being an 'awful, awful man'. Even the conservative commentators like Andrew Bolt, Janet Albrechtsen etc are well over him. I would go as far as to say that Paul Murray is the only one left the conservative stable to think Morrison is a good bet.

Rache

Do you really think that the head of ASIO would be party to a "timed announcement" contribution to electioneering?

I would trust the head of ASIO.
And at the moment - prior to an upcoming
election all sorts of political tricks
are being played and will continue to be
played. It will only get worse as the
election draws near. The best that we can
do is stick to our principles and turn a
deaf ear to all the games that will continue
to be played out.

We need to look at what's going to be offered
in the way of policies and make our decisions
accordingly. Also we already should know
our politicians by their past actions and we can
make judgements accordingly. None of them are
really "new kids on the block." Their records
speak for themselves.

As the old adage goes - you can put lipstick on
a pig - it still remains a pig. Or -
you can't polish a turd (unless it's a resin -
solidified). But I guess you can sprinkle
glitter on it.

"Also we already should know
our politicians by their past actions and we can
make judgements accordingly".

Yes. That means, for me anyway, that we need a clean sweep or, at least, very few of those now there left in a job. Not very likely, I realise, and some people are happy with what we have - amazingly. Maybe a hung parliament might straighten out a few 'born-to-rule' types?

A clean sweep sounds like a good idea.

Foxy if you are thinking of voting on announced policies, here are a couple of statements you should keep in mind.

I am a Fiscal conservative, &
There will be no carbon tax under a government I lead.

Believe Labor policy announcements at out peril.

Dear Hassie,

I know it's going to be hard to sift through it all.
Politicians make a lot of promises as we know.
And who can we really trust?

We need to weigh things up and be careful that's for
sure.

Who would have thought that this would ever have been said about an Australian Prime Minister:

The lawyer of the man accused of raping a woman in an office in Parliament House has called Morrison’s apology to the accuser an "absolute disgrace", and has advised that the PM has "no authority" to make the apology, and has abrogated and ignored the presumption of innocence; has ignored and disrespected the function of the courts, and has "no respect for the rule of law".

As for the alternative to Morrison: well Albo can't seem to get enough of being photographed and grinning with the accuser who, incidentally, is not a 'victim' until she is proved to be one in the courts.

Given the Prime Minister's actions in Parliament (he has a history of jumping the gun: Obdeid, SAS soldiers), and the performance of the two "hate-filled harridans" being cheered on by the baying press mob at a Press Conference, there's not much chance of a fair trial for the accused, especially as there is no trial by judge alone in the ACT.

What a sorry state Australian has become.

Do I really think that the head of ASIO would be party to a "timed announcement" contribution to electioneering?

Probably not but Dutton could certainly time his remarks to line up with what he expected the ASIO chief to say.

It's nothing new in politics. I remember how the arrest of Craig Thomson dramatically happened during Tony Abbott's big Media event and how the (Liberal Party member) Victorian Police Chief unneccessarily sent a couple of detectives to NSW, alerted the media and kept them waiting "for no apparent reason" but until the time was just right. I also recall how Abbott disappeared from our screens for a couple of weeks afterward - he reacted badly to his Botox treatment.

Politics is a circus, managed by spin merchants, focus groups and lobbyists. Staged photo opportunities, building cubby houses, ukuleles and cooking curries are all about contrived image-making and not just happy coincidences.

If, and it is likely, China has expansionist desires in our region their objectives can be better served with a Coalition government in Canberra. The Coalition cuts aid to the Pacific nations, a loss for Australia and a win for China. Menacing talk from people like Dutton gives the Chinease an excuse to counter with military measures. South Korea and to a lesser extent Japan and India are concerned about Australia's hollow belligerent attitude towards China, it's not serving their interests.

I don't know that Craig Thomson can be compared with China, Rache. We all know what goes on prior to elections, most of it lies and rubbish from all contestants, few if any of them worthy of our attention or votes. But, China is a 'clear and present danger' as the Yanks say, not to be compared with rubbish on fast trains and what a twat the PM is. I say China, because what other country could it possibly be? Some people have speculated on who the 'wealthy, deeply rooted in Australia with connections to the "mystery" country' is, but they can't speak the name. I think most of us have a pretty good idea.

No. I don’t think this is about electioneering or politics at all. The China threat is of great concern to both sides of politics and all of us. If there is no bipartisanship on China - and I believe that there is - we are in big, big trouble.

I don't think it's a good idea for Peter Dutton
to be making comments like he did and playing
into China's hands by presenting an appearance
of a disunified Australia. We don't need to be
fighting amongst ourselves and playing politics
at this time. It makes us appear weak.

Hi Foxy,

Dutton is extremely dangerous, he is using foreign policy to drive his personal domestic political ambitions. As I understand it Dutton and Morrison are hardly on speaking terms. Dutton is trying to set Morrison up for a fall, either before the election, which is highly unlikely, should Morrison fail to win, or be returned with a narrow victory, Dutton will make his move at some stage.

Foxy,

Unfortunately, people who are supposed to know better are always blabbing about how weak we are. The CCP doesn't need cyber spying to know what's going on: our politicians tell them everything they need to know.

One notorious example, who should certainly know better because of his military career, is General, now Senator, Jim Molan. Referred to as 'great man' by Paul Murray on SkyNews, he is always blurting out how weak we are, how we haven't done what we should have done, and so on. He is probably right, but there is no need to advertise, instead of hammering his own government to get on with it.

Politicians are all a-holes interested in themselves and their artificial careers much more than they are interested in Australia and Australians.

ttbn,

I know that being a politician is not an easy job.
And that they're only human. However I wish that at
times they'd think before they speak. Voters don't
like disunity and they're not doing themselves any
favours by stoking the fires against each other.
It may surprise you to know that I do long for the
days of good leadership that we once had. But that
today is not around any more. Personal ambitions
seem to be more important than what's good for the
country - as you point out.

While our politicians and press are blaring away, China is using their age-old strategy of 'hide and bide': keeping quiet, and biding their time until the opportunity arises.

This rising anti-China sentiment has being growing conveniently in step with the changing political requirements of the USA and we will continue to pay the price economically. It's feeling a lot like "the coalition of the willing" all over again. Meanwhile the USA steps in and snaps up the markets that we lose while China remains a third of our global trade.

This will likely go the way of previous contrived outrages and eventually be replaced with something else, unless we are drawn into a military conflict first or totally forfeit our trade position.

Whatever happened to all those earlier battles that got the right wing all excited - the wearing of burkas, immigration levels, halal foods, welfare cheats and so on? Nothing was ever solved or changed but we were simply herded in other directions by vested interests who constantly yank our chains.
It used to be the Russians, then the Asians, then the Muslims and now the Chinese.

Rache,

Do they pay you in Yuan or AU$ ?

There is a fundamental problem we all face.
Pres Xi said a two or three years back, that the United States is not
a sovereign country.
When asked he said that China is the only sovereign country.

This is a reiteration of the Central Kingdom where ALL countries owe
tribute to China.
Looked at in this light you can see the reason for the Belt & Road
program. I recently read how many of the countries involved in that
program cannot keep up repayments but China is not pressing for payment.
I guess if they continue with paying tribute indefinitely China will be happy.
Tribute of course can be in the form of military bases, resources etc
as well as votes in the UN.
Has the Central Kingdom already been restablished ?

rache, thanks for telling it like it is.

Bazz, good to see you can cut and paste straight out of the Yankee Play Book.

ttbn, rache is a loyal Australian, not like some useful idiots here who put themselves in the pocket of America, and and its bugger Australia.

Bazz

It's up to us to shun all things Chinese: products, sport, the lot. It was interesting to see that the TV coverage of the Communist Games has had poor ratings. Perhaps the quiet Australians are more astute than the self-indulgent athletes who have given the CCP a diplomatic win by attending. Their egos and the chance of useless medals are more important than the threat to their country.

ttbn,

Do they pay you in Yankee or Aussie dollars?

ttbn, Note, how Paul dispises the Aussie and American dollar with his comment so obviously he is a Communist supporting the bullies of China.

Josephus

I don’t care what he says. He just keeps up his childish tirades hoping he will get a reaction so that he can continue with the tirades. Even the Greens party he claims to be a member of would be embarrassed if they knew that he existed. All comments are welcome on any thread I start, including those who disagree with with my take on the subject. But I not going to bother responding to the equivalent of a petulant two-year old, with an intellect to match the two year old, who thinks they he is funny. I suspect that he is not sober most of the time.

Of course ttbn, this is your first post with your crap directed at rache.

"Do they pay you in Yuan or AU$ ?"

Rubbish, You can dish it out, but can't stand having it thrown back at you. An 85 year old sook.

On the matter of bipartisanship on China, Ms. Keneally's hobnobbing with two members of China United Front - propagandists pushing to unite Taiwan with China - can still be viewed online. That could be a bit embarrassing around election time.

Potty Paul,

Just found out about your 'pushback'. What a hero! One of the few of your demented posts that I ever read accused me of sticking my nose into conversations I wasn't part of. It's OK for you to do it though. Doing it for rache were you? What a good little boy you are. Who is the 85 year old you are gibbering about? What time of the day do you hit the turps?

And:

Apart from not being able to mind your own business, you have absolutely no idea of what an appropriate response is. Your $US - $AU to my Yuan - $AU falls as flat as a pancake.

My dig at rache - which was none of your business - was suggesting that he was in pay of China because he is an apologist for our enemy in this instance. No mention of America has been made. The topic is Australia/China only.

If America was a threat to Australia, and I apologised for America, you could say what you did, but it isn't, so your crack is silly.

And, I am not 85, but I've been around long enough to know it's the most ignorant people who make the most noise about anything and everything. You are an exemplar of that.

It's interesting to see how some people are so easily triggered, ruled by their emotions, gullible and likely to be susceptible to scammers.

Mindlessly repeating manufactured and contrived "talking points" may make you think you're well informed but that's not usually the case and the term "useful idiot" applies across the entire political spectrum

I'm not 85 either but in my late 60s and have seen this sort of thing many times before and know former media researchers whose job was to limit and control what we used to read in the newspapers. The only difference is that nowadays social media is the preferred tool of propagandists and is self-perpetuating. It's also how the powerful get people to vote against their best interests.

Also the typical form of political argument is -
If you don't have the facts, argue the law.
If you don't have the law, argue the facts.
If you don't have the facts or the law, call the other person names.
That's when you lose.

ttbn,

I thought you once said you were 85? How surprising a simmilar comment to your own fires you up with claims of alcoholism etc. I thought rache comment was valid, but you seen fit to imply he was a Chinese agent for expressing his opinion.

When you can't tell the truth, make up a lie to suit your narrative. According to one forum poster the Winter Olympics were "rating badly", not so according to Media Week; Seven have "come up trumps" with the ratings for the Winter Olympics, allowing Seven to win week 8 of the period. Maybe he was refering to the TV ratings in Ubeckestan or some such place, certainly not Australia.

"That's when you lose".

You have certainly lost me, rache. I don’t have the slightest idea what you are talking about. Do you?

Two Chinese ships will arrive in Tonga today. Officials acknowledge the situation has highlighted the strategic tussle for influence in the region. China is calling it a "goodwill" mission. Of course they would.

Forget Ukraine. Think about us and the region.

The whole belt and roads scheme has now been revealed.
It was never to push the signed up countries into default on the loans,
but a more subtle arrangement of forbearance on missed payments and
ultimately of forgivenment on loans leaving them as vassal states of
the modernised Central Kingdom.
So far in Africa it has been a roaring success. Watch the Pacific.

China should certainly be a concern.

A Labor Senator has named a suspect for the foiled interference, under privilege. A Chinese property developer was named.

Russia seems to be adopting China's China Sea practises in the Baltic.
Sweden has had to send troops to Gotland Island due to Russian Naval
ships intruding into Swedish waters. Russian submarines have intruded
into Swedish territorial waters.
Military type drones have been seen flying over various parts of Sweden.
They have been seen over Stockholm. A Russian "tourist" was arrested.

There is now a public interest in both Sweden & Finland in joining NATO.

There are more than 500 demonstrations every day in China. Just imagine what would happen if there was mass unemployment and mass hunger in the country. The CCP can imagine it. We have to start imagining it to realise just how serious the China threat is to us

The CCP in China is arresting Christians and imprisoning and murdering them. http://www.christianitydaily.com/articles/12686/20210726/christians-in-china-experienced-increased-persecution-and-hardship-from-ccp-under-xi-jinping-report.htm

http://unherd.com/2021/02/why-china-is-terrified-of-christianity/

http://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/christianity-china

The Coalition is accusing Labor of being pro China.
This is playing right into China's hands -as ASIO
Director Burgess has pointed out on the news this
morning. Trying to score pre-election brownie
points in this way - undermines us - and gives
China want it wants to achieve here - disunity amongst
our political parties. This stupid behaviour needs
to stop.

Hi Foxy,

The Coalition can't run on its record, its terrible. A "vote for me, the other guys worse" campaign might be all they have.

Hi Paul,

It's time that those sort of tactics were stopped
in this country. They put our nation's security
at risk and play right into our enemy's hands.

Foxy,

It is stupid behaviour. One (conservative) commentator said it reminded him of Malcolm Fraser's also stupid remark about having to keep your money under the bed if Labor got in instead of him.

A couple of days ago, Rita Panahi quizzed an often-appearing left-wing deputy mayor of one of Melbourne's lefty councils about the Global Times supporting Albanese for PM.

Lefty ( sorry I can't think of his name) responded by saying that Albanese would take no pleasure in that; that the paper was owned by the CCP, and what it spouted wasn't worth the paper it was written on.

Fellow guest, Bronwyn Bishop hit the roof, spluttering 'how could he pass off' something said in a Communist paper, yada yada.

In this instance I totally agreed with Lefty. Bronwyn is worse than, and more embarrassing, than any retired Prime Minister.

Really eye opening stuff.

"That’s because senior Liberal party figures worked with News Corp to bring Australia under the influence of the Xi Jinping regime, in a staggering plot that would have seen Chinese enterprises purchase major Australian companies and Chinese workers displace Australians in workplaces across the country, and would have brought Australia into the “orbit” of one of the world’s most brutal, aggressive regimes — all without ordinary Aussies being given a say.

China was even able to secure control of a strategic Darwin port as part of the Liberal-News Corp plot, leaving Australian and US military movements susceptible to Chinese monitoring to this very day.

The primary architect of the plot was former prime minister Tony Abbott, who posed as a hardline anti-communist while engaging in extensive secret negotiations with the Xi Jinping regime to extend Chinese economic intervention in Australia. It was dubbed the “China–Australia Free Trade Agreement” (ChAFTA), and information about the negotiations was withheld from the public until 2015, when Abbott, without consultation with Parliament or the community, signed Australia to a deal allowing Chinese investment and labour into Australia unchecked."

http://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/shock-chinese-plot-coalition-news-corp-collaborated-with-xi-to-influence-australia/ar-AATUmad

ttbn,

All these goings on are really hard to understand.
Makes you wonder what really goes on behind the scenes.