The Albanese government has reportedly backflipped on its decision to exclude spy chief Mike Burgess from the top level National Security Committee.
Mr Burgess, who is the director-general of the spy agency, has been reinstated on a permanent basis in the committee which ‘considers the highest-priority, highest risk and most strategic national security matters of the day’, according to its website.
Previously it was understood Mr Burgess along with ASIS chief Kerri Hartland would only be called in on a case-by-case basis after the powerful Prime Minister and Cabinet Secretary Glyn Davis removed their permanent status.
However, an escalation in spying and terror threats has seen at least Mr Burgess regain his automatic inclusion in the body.
A freedom of information request by Sky News revealed Mr Burgess and Ms Hartland were on the outer from January last year.
The FOI shows the Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus writing to Mr Burgess on January 9, 2023, thanking him for his contribution.
‘On behalf of the Prime Minister, I want to thank you for your contributions to this committee throughout 2022,’ he wrote.
‘I look forward to your contribution through co-option to relevant matters at this committee as they arise in the future.’
Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson told Sky News the Albanese government had made a tacit admission they erred and he called for an apology from the Prime Minister.
ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess has been recalled into the top level National Security Committee on a permanent basis
‘The Albanese Government should never have removed any of our intelligence agency heads from the national security committee,’ he said.
‘It’s welcome they have finally come to their senses although only after their recklessness was publicly exposed.
‘Our national security has been damaged by this episode and the prime minister should take responsibility, publicly explain his change of heart, and apologise.’
Earlier this month two Russian-born Australians, Kira Korolev, 40, and her husband Igor, 62, were arrested over an alleged spying scheme targeting the Defence Department.
In May officials were left red-faced after admitting hundreds of Chinese-made security cameras were found at a number of defence sites across Australia after the department claimed there was only one.
Defence officers revealed in a Senate hearing they had uncovered 435 spy devices ‘of concern’.
Secretary to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Professor Glyn Davis (pictured left) was understood to have made the previous call to only call in Mr Burgess on a case-by-case basis
A Liberal Senator has called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to apologise for the original decision
These devices were manufactured by Chinese companies Hikvision and Dahua, which are both partly-owned by the Chinese government.
The officials said they were in the process of removing all surveillance devices from the affected sites.
In February Mr Burgess made the sensational claim that a former politician ‘sold out their country’ to China but would not name the person accused.
He also warned there was at least one nation state laying the groundwork to potentially sabotage key Australian infrastructure in the future.