The Albanian government has reportedly reversed its decision to exclude spy chief Mike Burgess from the high-level National Security Committee.
Mr. Burgess, the spy agency’s director general, has been permanently reinstated to the committee that “considers the highest-priority, highest-risk and most strategic national security issues of the day,” according to its website.
It was previously understood Mr Burgess along with ASIS boss Kerri Hartland would only be called up on a case-by-case basis after being stripped of their permanent status by the powerful First Minister and Cabinet Secretary Glyn Davis.
However, an escalation in spying and terrorist threats has at least seen Mr Burgess regain his automatic inclusion in the body.
A freedom of information request by Sky News revealed Mr Burgess and Ms Hartland had been away since January last year.
The FOI shows Attorney General Mark Dreyfus writing to Mr Burgess on 9 January 2023, thanking him for his contribution.
“On behalf of the Prime Minister, I would like to thank you for your contributions to this committee throughout 2022,” he wrote.
‘I look forward to your input through co-opting relevant issues of this committee as they arise in the future.’
Shadow Home Secretary James Paterson told Sky News the Albanian government had tacitly admitted it had made a mistake and called for an apology from the prime minister.
ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess has been recalled to the senior National Security Committee on a permanent basis.
“The Albanese government should never have removed any of the heads of our intelligence agencies from the National Security Committee,” he said.
“It is positive that they have finally come to their senses, although only after their recklessness became public knowledge.
“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 espionage plot targeting the Department of Defense.
In May, officials were left red-faced after admitting hundreds of Chinese-made security cameras were found at several defence sites across Australia after the department claimed there was only one.
Defense officials revealed at a Senate hearing that they had discovered 435 “worrying” spy devices.
It is understood that Prime Minister’s Secretary and Cabinet Secretary Professor Glyn Davis (pictured left) had made the earlier call to call Mr Burgess back only on a case-by-case basis.
A Liberal senator has called on Premier Anthony Albanese to apologise for the original decision
These devices were manufactured by Chinese companies Hikvision and Dahua, both partially owned by the Chinese government.
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 had “sold out his country” to China, but did not name the person accused.
He also warned that there was at least one nation state laying the groundwork to potentially sabotage key Australian infrastructure in the future.
