Australia’s ties with China must be ‘healed’, says former prime minister Paul Keating, attacking ‘nutters’ who damaged relations
- Security agencies’ advice has led to the government banning Chinese technology giant Huawei from involvement in Australia’s national broadband network and the roll-out of the upcoming 5G network
- Former Prime Minister Paul Keating made scathing comments about the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the Australian Secret Intelligence Service during a televised interview
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday defended the nation’s intelligence agency bosses after a former prime minister described them as “nutters” who have damaged bilateral relations with China.
Former Prime Minister Paul Keating on Sunday urged his centre-left Labor Party to “clean them out” – referring to the security agency chiefs – if Labor wins government at elections next week.
Conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that Australian security agencies had prevented 15 terrorist attacks in Australia since the national threat level was increased in 2014.
“For what the Labor Party calls a Labor legend to go out there and attack the credibility of our security agencies that have been saving lives in this country, I think is disappointing,” Morrison told reporters.
Labor leader Bill Shorten, whom opinion polls suggest with replace Morrison as prime minister after the May 18 election, distanced himself from Keating’s comments.
“Paul Keating’s an elder statesman of Australian politics, he’s never been shy of saying what he thinks, but for myself and my opposition team, we’ve worked very well with the national security agencies,” Shorten told reporters. “We, of course, will continue to take the professional advice of the people who help keep Australians safe.”
Keating, a 75-year-old who was prime minister from 1991 until 1996, made scathing comments about the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the Australian Secret Intelligence Service during an interview televised by Australian Broadcasting Corporation after Labor’s official campaign launch.