Pauline Hanson LEAKS troubling email she received before Chinese official’s visit to Parliament that every Australian needs to see
Senator Pauline Hanson has leaked a troubling email warning parliamentarians to take security precautions during a visit by Chinese officials to Parliament House.
The message, sent by the Department of Parliamentary Services on Monday morning, laid out the precise movements of Zhao Leji, China’s third-most powerful official, during his two-day trip to Canberra.
It advised parliamentarians and staff to shut down mobile phones, laptops and iPads as Zhao and his delegation passed through sensitive areas of the building.
The email also flagged interruptions to Wi-Fi and urged staff to close blinds and office doors while the delegation moved through the corridors.
Despite the message being marked ‘sensitive’, and the department requesting recipients not distribute it any further, Hanson posted the entire email to social media.
Hanson said the extraordinary restrictions showed Zhao was ‘not a guest, but a bonafide threat to our democracy’.
‘Despite being asked not to distribute the email, I think all Australians have a right to know that the Chinese Communist Party cannot be trusted,’ she added.
Zhao, chair of the National People’s Congress, is one of President Xi Jinping’s key power brokers and a senior figure inside Beijing’s ruling inner circle.
Zhao Leji, China’s third highest-ranking official is pictured with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday morning during Zhao’s two-day trip to Canberra
Senator Pauline Hanson leaked a ‘sensitive’ government email warning parliamentarians to take precautions ahead of Zhao’s visit, whom she described as a ‘bonafide threat’
Pro-China demonstrators are pictured holding flags at Government House in Canberra on Monday ahead of the Chinese powerbroker’s visit
His visit includes meetings with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Governor-General Sam Mostyn, and a formal dinner with Senate President Sue Lines and Speaker Milton Dick.
The DPS email did not give reasons for the strict instructions, but it noted the delegation would pass through the House of Representatives wing, the ministerial wing and the Prime Minister’s courtyard across Monday evening and early Tuesday.
Parliamentarians and their staff were told to use alternative routes while Zhao was inside the building and warned that some offices might experience ‘intermittent disruptions’ to Wi-Fi.
It also urged staff to power down all internet-connected devices in certain areas and to switch off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth where shutdown was not possible.
Cybersecurity experts say the warnings reflect long-standing concerns about foreign intelligence gathering during official visits by senior Chinese figures.
Dr Nathan Attrill, senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told the Daily Mail the precautions were not surprising.
‘When a senior Chinese official visits, agencies assume the delegation will be accompanied by technical specialists capable of wireless interception or device exploitation,’ Dr Attrill said.
‘Powering down electronics and disabling Wi-Fi and Bluetooth is simply about reducing the most accessible points of vulnerability.’
Hanson described Zhao as an ‘imposter and a bonafide threat’ to Australia’s democracy
Parliamentarians and staff were asked to ensure the blinds and doors of offices in the path of the Chinese delegation (pictured) were closed for ‘privacy’ reasons
Zhao’s visi includes meetings with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Governor-General Sam Mostyn (pictured) and a dinner with Senate President Sue Lines and Speaker Milton Dick
He said China had a ‘long track record’ of exploiting diplomatic travel to ‘map networks, capture signals and collect whatever ambient data they can’.
‘None of this means the delegation is doing anything improper, but Parliament House is one of the most targeted buildings in Australia and DPS is simply reducing risk,’ he added.
The visit comes after ASIO director-general Mike Burgess warned of a surge in state-sponsored cyber-attacks targeting critical systems and government infrastructure.
ASIO has repeatedly warned that foreign intelligence services, including China-linked groups, view Australian politicians and their offices as potential targets for espionage.
Opposition cybersecurity spokeswoman Claire Chandler said the instructions given to staff showed the scale of the threat.
She said the idea that MPs had to shut down electronics ‘just to protect our data’ during a foreign visit should alarm all Australians.
‘It’s fair to expect all parliamentarians to be vigilant about their own cybersecurity, but the measures in place today go far beyond what’s usually expected for a visiting delegation,’ she said.
Daily Mail has contacted the Department of Parliamentary Services for comment.
