Publicly naming traitor politician would initiate defamation proceedings: James Paterson

Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson says publicly naming the politician said to have assisted in sending national secrets to a foreign power would initiate defamation proceedings and cause ASIO tactics to be brought into the open. “It is not my role, nor Mike Burgess should do that in a public forum because that would initiate defamation proceedings,” Mr Paterson told Sky News Australia. “In order to defend yourself, you may have to make a truth argument. “Which would require you to reveal classified sources and methods. “Understandably, our intelligence agencies don’t want to do that.”