‘Put in place’: Waleed shamed in leaked texts

One of the nation’s astir almighty nationalist servants Mike Pezzullo has been asked to basal speech pending an enquiry into bombshell leaked substance messages wherever helium secretly denigrated governmental leaders and journalists, including Project big Waleed Aly.

New substance messages that helium exchanged with Liberal powerbroker Scott Briggs person emerged today, revealing the elder nationalist servant secretly pushing for powers to censor the media’s reporting of nationalist information issues and badmouthing broadcasters and journalists.

Nine has not disclosed however the substance messages were obtained done “a 3rd party” but insisted it was legal.

In the texts helium criticises a scope of governmental leaders including Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Defence Minister Marise Payne and Attorney-General George Brandis.

Mr Briggs has confirmed the contented of the texts, stressing the conversations connected encrypted apps were “private.”

Earlier, Home Affairs curate Clare O’Neil announced an enquiry by the Australian Public Service Commissioner into Pezzullo’s behaviour, but did not instantly basal him down.

“I americium alert of reports regarding communications betwixt Mr Michael Pezzullo and Mr Scott Briggs,” O’Neil said successful a statement.

“Last nighttime I referred this substance to the Australian Public Service Commissioner, Dr Gordon de Brouwer.”

News.com.au does not suggest immoderate of the substance exchanges were corrupt oregon illegal, lone that they were exchanged and that Mr Pezzullo’s behaviour is present being investigated.

Former Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton defended Mr Pezzullo, telling reporters helium had ever recovered him to beryllium a “thoroughly professional” bureaucrat.

“He conducted himself successful a thoroughly nonrecreational mode successful my dealings with him, and that was my acquisition of dealing with Mr Pezzullo,’’ Mr Dutton said.

“If the premier curate doesn’t person assurance successful Mr Pezzullo, helium should accidental so. This is an contented for the authorities to enactment out.”

Shortly afterwards, Mr Albanese held a property league wherever helium revealed that Mr Pezzullo had been asked to basal speech pending the inquiry.

“He has agreed to basal aside, that enactment is appropriate, we volition await the findings of the probe which we volition expedite,’ Mr Albanese said.

Federal furniture is gathering contiguous successful Adelaide and Mr Albanese added that immoderate autarkic enquiry requires a “full and due disclosure”.

In the caller substance messages, Mr Pezzullo denigrates governmental leaders including Julie Bishop and Marise Payne and shows contempt for respective well-known media figures, praising Scott Morrison for putting The Project big Waleed Aly “in his place”.

He described a pistillate newsman Primrose Riordan arsenic a “silly journalist”, seasoned ABC writer Barrie Cassidy arsenic “a sneering, cynical hack,” and referred to broadcaster Alan Jones’ presumption that the Murugappan household of Biloela should beryllium allowed to enactment successful Australia arsenic a “rant”.

In 1 speech helium suggests that past Defence Minister Marise Payne should person intervened implicit a communicative that writer Annika Smethurst wrote.

“Payne is wholly ineffectual,” Pezzullo wrote to Briggs. “She could person killed the communicative yesterday.”

“She is useless,” Briggs agreed.

“The shame of it is that Payne could person turned it astir yesterday had she engaged,” wrote Pezzullo.

“I could person turned it into a large communicative for the Government … erstwhile Smethurst had the yarn she could person been turned.”

In 2019, the Australian Federal Police – which is portion of the Home Affairs portfolio but was not nether Pezzullo’s operational bid – raided Smethurst’s home.

The constabulary went done her bookcases, room and bedroom, and confiscated her physics devices.

Mr Pezzullo past suggests voters would enactment a crackdown connected the media, suggesting the “punters are sick of the chaos.”

“Solution is elegant and tin beryllium played retired sequentially implicit coming months – purposefully and steadily without a consciousness of situation and reaction. We request to hole this implicit the mean term. A prosecution … would spot WWIII interruption out”.

In a bid of substance messages revealed by the Nine newspapers, Mr Pezzullo lobbied for the past premier curate Scott Morrison to present a strategy of “D-Notices” – to unit media organisations not to people stories deemed damaging to nationalist security.

D Notices were utilized successful Australia until the 1980s to pass the media not to people connected questions deemed to infringe connected nationalist security.

At 1 point, Mr Pezzullo past badmouthed Smethurst to her colleagues, forwarding connected his messages to Briggs.

“I respect your journalism but I americium calling foul connected your commentary connected the AFP warrant connected Smethurst,” Pezzullo wrote, forwarding the connection to Briggs.

“You cannot perchance support alleged ‘public involvement journalism’ which is wholly false, and wherever nary grounds of wrongdoing is exposed … Why bash I cognize this to beryllium false? Because I wrote the connection and sent it to Defence.”

He past criticised Smethurst: “Why bash you deliberation her handler picked her, alternatively than accidental an experienced nationalist information journalist. Think astir it.”

News.com.au has contacted Mr Pezzullo for comment.