It’s hard to see Russia gaining any advantage from “influencing our politics” amid reports the country was linked to a major foreign interference plot foiled by ASIO, says Deakin University Professor Greg Barton.
The operation, led by a wealthy puppeteer, had deep links to a foreign government and aimed to bankroll vulnerable political candidates to get sympathetic MPs elected to parliament.
The ABC reports the wealthy figure had links to “Russian spy agencies”.
“China, on the on the other hand wants to do information collection, but it also would like to influence our politics,” Mr Barton told Sky News host Paul Murray.
“Evidence on that basis would point to China, yet Andrew Greene in the ABC cycle was saying sources have said to him that this particular operation referred to by Mike Burgess refers to a particular Russian operative.”