Australia politics live: Iranian foreign interference plot disrupted, home affairs minister says | Australia news

Amy Remeikis

February 14 is also the date Captain Cook was killed in Hawaii, but you won’t see politicians make social media videos about that.

Daniel Hurst

O’Neil: foreign governments are attempting to exert influence over diaspora communities

In her speech about foreign interference, Clare O’Neil vowed to “call out the egregious acts of individual countries when it is in the national interest to do so”.

The home affairs minister told the ANU she wanted “a public discussion about this problem that is open, apolitical and commensurate with the size of the challenge – and to build a community of people who know what foreign interference is, what it looks like, and what to do when they see it”.

Our best defence against foreign interference is to arm people who are possible targets of this behaviour with the information they need to recognise and report it. And partisanship is a problem because if this discussion becomes polluted by craven political interests, our citizens will lose trust with our attempts to explain it.

We must change the nature and tone of the discussion.

While Iran was the only country she named explicitly in today’s speech, O’Neil said the anecdote about the disrupted plot was “not the only story of Asio detecting foreign interference in Australia”. She said there were other examples “of foreign governments tasking human sources to collect sensitive personal information of individuals seen as dissidents by the foreign government due to their activism” and “individuals arranging counter-protests to instigate arguments with activists with the intent of provoking violence – all at the request of a foreign intelligence service”:

So when and where do we see this problem most commonly in Australia?

We see it in the covert influence foreign governments attempt to exert over diaspora communities. To be clear, this is almost always unsuccessful due to the deep loyalty of Australia’s migrant communities to our beautiful shared country.

We see it when diaspora communities peacefully protest about the actions of their governments back at home. In some instances, they will be photographed, harassed or followed as a result. We see it when members of those communities speak out publicly against violence or intimidation in their home country. We see it when people in those communities or their families back home are threatened, harassed or intimidated. To be clear, this type of foreign interference is commonplace, it is happening around our country every day.

We see it too, on social media, where foreign governments covertly try to sow division around political issues that are felt deeply in the Australian community, to deliberately deteriorate our social fabric and cause conflict and painful rifts.

We see it in our universities, where foreign governments attempt to covertly influence how topics are discussed and covered in our fiercely independent university lecture theatres.

We see in politics, where foreign governments try to win over elected leaders and party activists push for changes in everything from planning laws to foreign and national security policy, or simply to build a picture of how decisions are made.

Iranian foreign interference plot disrupted

Daniel Hurst

Australian security agencies have shut down a foreign interference plot by Iran, the Australian government has said. The plot allegedly included individuals conducting surveillance of the home of an Iranian-Australian and extensively researching this person and their family.

The home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, revealed the incident in a speech to the Australian National University today while saying a number of diaspora communities in Australia face pressure when they peacefully protest about the actions of their governments back at home.

O’Neil also described foreign interference as “one of the core threats our democracy faces”. She vowed to “bring foreign interference out of the shadows, and into the light” so that people can be ready to face the challenge.

O’Neil told the ANU’s National Security College this morning:

Today I want to speak in more detail about foreign interference from one country in particular: Iran. I stress that foreign interference does not just come from one country – it is being conducted and directed by many countries across the globe. Iran is but one of them.

Since September last year, Iran’s theocratic regime has been jolted by nation-wide protests in response to the tragic death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, Kurdish name “Jina”.

Tehran’s brutal response to those protests – with more than 400 people killed, including at least 50 children – has not only failed to quell the uprising, but triggered further protests against the regime around the world, including here in Australia.

Obviously, Tehran’s response to protests could not be farther than our own. In our country, we respect the right of Australians to peacefully express their views … it is perfectly legal for anyone in Australia to criticise a foreign regime, as tens of thousands of people across the country have been doing in response to events in Iran.

What we absolutely will not tolerate, under any circumstances, are attempts by foreign regimes to disrupt peaceful protests, encourage violence or suppress views. Nor will we tolerate hostile acts in the form of surveillance, harassment or intimidation against individuals or family members here in Australia.

The Australian government and our security agencies will act to protect Australians and their democratic rights.

Late last year, Asio disrupted the activities of individuals who had conducted surveillance of the home of an Iranian-Australian, as well as extensive research of this individual and their family. I’m pleased to say our agencies were onto it like a shot. Asio tracked the operation and shut it down immediately.

We’re not going to stand back and have Australians or indeed visitors to our country watched and tracked by foreign governments on our soil. This is Australia, this is our democracy, and if you engage in activities like this, you will be discovered.

To those states who operate in the shadows, I have a simple message – we are watching you. Where our national interest is served by calling out your operations, we will. And to those in Australia making their voice heard, we are acting to protect you.

It is round two for the committees we heard from yesterday.

So that means legal and constitutional affairs, where today the attorney general portfolio will be examined and no doubt Michaelia Cash will pop up with some questions there.

Over in finance and public administration, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet is still under question, but then finance will get a go.

The environment and communications committee is all about arts and comms today which also means it is ABC day. But that section hasn’t been the same since Eric Abetz didn’t get preselected.

And then there is rural and regional affairs (and transport) where the agriculture department will be questioned. Bridget McKenzie will be living her best life.

Amy Remeikis

Senate estimates will continue today, but the House of Representatives is going to be a little bit slower because of all the party room meetings which will be going on, for those wondering.