Australian who worked for foreign spies was in parliament at the time, Asio boss says

Former Australian politician worked as a spy for a foreign intelligence service while in office, Asio's chief Mike Burgess announced.

Although their actions are now considered legal, as they occurred before the 2018 espionage laws, Burgess clarified that they no longer pose a security risk.

The ex-politician was aware of their espionage activities, including facilitating invitations to a conference where foreign intelligence agents posed as bureaucrats to gather sensitive information.

Burgess refrained from disclosing identifying details but confirmed in an interview that the individual was active in politics during the espionage period.

Explosive information regarding the politician proposing to involve a prime minister's family member in espionage was released, although not materialized. Malcolm Turnbull's son, Alex, mentioned a suspicious offer he received in 2017 but was not approached by spies according to Burgess.

Calls have emerged from political figures for the ex-spy's identity to be revealed to prevent tarnishing the reputations of others. However, Burgess emphasized his main goal was to educate politicians on the threats of espionage and to protect Asio's methods and sources.

The federal education minister supported Burgess's nondisclosure, emphasizing the gravity of foreign interference in Australian politics.