Australian military spies on defence minister

Australia's military launched an investigation into allegations that its officers spied on the defence minister and leaked details to media.

Australia’s military launched an investigation on Thursday into allegations that its officers spied on the defence minister and leaked details of his ties to a China-born businesswoman.

Defence chiefs ordered the probe after Fairfax newspapers reported the military’s intelligence arm accessed Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon’s office computer system as part of a covert sweep into his private life.

Defence officials,who Fitzgibbon recently accused of being incompetent,then leaked information about his friendship with Beijing-born businesswoman Helen Liu to suggest the minister may be a security risk,the reports said.

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The allegations come after a series of clashes between Fitzgibbon and the military brass,the most recent involving a bungle over pay for soldiers in the elite Special Air Service (SAS).

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd,on a visit to Washington,said he had only heard about the reports and he had not spoken to Fitzgibbon.

“I am further advised that the secretary of the defence department is conducting a further investigation into this matter and therefore I will await the outcome of that investigation,” he told reporters.

“My advice is that this has been a family relationship with the Fitzgibbon family going back some 16 years,” Rudd said.