UK politicians demand probe into Liz Truss phone hack claim
Updated
Australia’s immigration minister says the nation must be clear about what the country is facing and must get tough.
Liz Truss says the Australian-born Ms Truss has been caught up in a world of conspiracy theories and “shameful” attacks.
Ms Truss was speaking after the former Sydney-based editor of the Sunday Telegraph was jailed for three years over a phone hacking scandal.
She was responding to calls for Parliament to investigate.
“Australia is facing a serious threat, a very serious threat,” she said.
“The threat is from people who seek to divide and undermine our society and our democracy in our national interest.
“We must be clear what Australia is facing and what our response is, and for that we need evidence and the evidence is at the heart of this case.”
‘Very serious’ threat
Ms Truss said the government had already conducted raids on the offices of Ms Truss’ and her family’s employer, and said the prime minister had told her it was “quite serious” and “a threat to our national security”.
“This has been an orchestrated campaign in relation to the Sunday Telegraph by people who seek to divide and undermine Australian society in our national interest,” she said.
“I am concerned about how the Sunday Telegraph can be portrayed in this way, as well as other media organisations who are now being attacked.
“The prime minister has told me that it’s quite serious and that it’s a threat to our national security. It has the potential to affect Australia’s national security, the conduct of our people, and our national interest.”
Ms Truss said the Sunday Telegraph’s editor, Andrew Haines, had been jailed for three years over phone hacking – but she did not want to comment in detail on the circumstances.
She denied claims that the former political editor was involved in hacking, and said there “was no evidence” of that during his trial.
“There was no evidence to support any suggestion he had undertaken any hacking to further anybody’s political