Being unable to live Tweet the event, I was paying closer than usual attention and learnt that actual spooks use terms such as “spymaster” and “sleeper agent” – although Burgess put air quotes around the latter, which suggests it might not be used within the cone of silence.

And before he got into the rise of neo-Nazi groups and threat levels, Burgess imparted a few pearls that us Wage Slaves and those above might benefit from.

The new headquarters of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation in Canberra played host to the drinks. Sitthixay Ditthavong

Over a Cascade Light before the formalities, the former head of digital spy agency the Australian Signals Directorate let it be known that he had removed a bank of photos from the entrance hall showing the past heads of ASIO. “I didn’t want people to see a wall of men,” he said.

Those pictures are now upstairs – where we weren’t allowed – and will be replaced by a blurb on what ASIO does with its annual budget of more than $500 million.

This new era acknowledges that even secret intelligence services have stakeholders.

During his speech, Burgess added that ASIO needed to ensure its staff continued “to reflect the diversity of the community we serve”.

Backroom deals


We will, of course, never be able to fact check this because it's a national secret, but let’s not allow those minor details to shade a new age of “sunlight and transparency” from our domestic spy boss. It was a big step to even let us in the building, let alone give an actual speech.

This new era acknowledges that even secret intelligence services have stakeholders, and if they want something, then the argument needs to be made in public. The backroom deals come later.

For Burgess and law enforcement types, the battle is to maintain laws that force tech companies to decrypt messages – a power even the crazies running Washington are uncomfortable about.

Regardless, Burgess is making the argument: he says encrypted communications affect 90 per cent of counter terrorism cases.

Speaking out

It’s a reminder that if the spooks can speak up on controversial topics, perhaps business could be a little bolder on issues such as the path to net-zero emissions, workforce diversity or executive pay. We've had some baby-steps – Alan Joyce on same-sex marriage and former BHP chief Andrew McKenzie on constitutionally enshrining an Indigenous voice to Parliament – but you could still barely fill a panel.

Sure it makes you a target – just ask Mike Cannon-Brookes and all his dangerous talk about renewable energy – but the alternative is allowing those with opposing views to fill the air time.

ASIO found this out the hard way last year when it was called before the press freedom inquiry and some genius decided its submission should be classified. The irony was only compounded when the document was later declassified and revealed to contain less news than this column.

That was before Burgess arrived at ASIO, although not everything has changed under his new regime of “sunlight”. A business card given out for those who might have media inquiries had a phone number, but no name.