A top-secret spy mission, a decades-old scandal – and the Austin Powers-esque saga to lift the lid

The Guardian World Saturday 31 October 2026, 00:04 UTC By Sarah Basford Canales 1 min read

Key Points

Rex Patrick’s latest transparency fight is over what he calls ‘most open secret in the history of Australian spying’ – maybe even the worldGet our daily political email, free app or daily news podcastA campaign to uncover any documents relating to whether Australian spies bugged Timor-Leste to gain the upper hand in sensitive oil and gas negotiations will be a little less secret after a critical win by the former senator Rex Patrick. The politician turned transparency advocate is trying to...

Rex Patrick’s latest transparency fight is over what he calls ‘most open secret in the history of Australian spying’ – maybe even the world

Get our daily political email, free app or daily news podcast

A campaign to uncover any documents relating to whether Australian spies bugged Timor-Leste to gain the upper hand in sensitive oil and gas negotiations will be a little less secret after a critical win by the former senator Rex Patrick.

The politician turned transparency advocate is trying to finally lift the lid on the top-secret mission in 2004 that became a public scandal years later after an ex-spy and a former attorney general attempted to mount a case in The Hague.

Austin Powers (ORG) Rex Patrick’s (PERSON) Australian (ORG) Timor-Leste (ORG) Rex Patrick (PERSON) The Hague (LOCATION)

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A top-secret spy mission, a decades-old scandal – and the Austin Powers-esque saga to lift the lid

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