Now a Brisbane based business consultant, Mr O'Chee is described by his Stratfor ''source handler'', China and International Projects Director Jennifer Richmond, as ''my Aussie intelligence source'' who is ''well-connected politically, militarily and economically''. Mr O'Chee has a Stratfor ''A'' rating for ''source reliability'', and his reports and advice are generally regarded as highly credible though at times veering into the field of ''intelligent speculation''. Mr O'Chee served as a Queensland National Party Senator from 1990 to 1999. He was the first ethnic-Chinese Australian to serve in the Australian Parliament and was also the youngest person to serve as a Senator. He remains active in the Liberal National Party in Queensland. On Monday WikiLeaks began the release of more than 5 million leaked Stratfor emails, which it said show ''how a private intelligence agency works, and how they target individuals for their corporate and government clients''. Fairfax Media has secured access to the emails through an investigative partnership with WikiLeaks. According to its website, the company, which has its headquarters in Austin, Texas, ''uses a unique, intelligence-based approach to gathering information via rigorous open-source monitoring and a global network of human sources''.

BHP Billiton, ANZ Bank, Caltex Australia and Woodside Energy are among Australian corporate subscribers to Stratfor's intelligence services. International clients include Apple, Google, American Express, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Boeing, and Sony. Numerous government agencies also subscribe to Stratfor reports including the Australian Departments of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Foreign Affairs and Trade, Resources and Energy and the peak intelligence body, the Office of National Assessments. When contacted by Fairfax Media, Mr O'Chee declined to comment on what he described as ''private business''. He said he had no ties to any government and his business activities ''didn't require advertising''. He said he had no contractual relationship with Stratfor and was not on the company's payroll, but declined to respond when asked about whether he received any payment for his prolific reporting or analysis. Mr O'Chee's primary reporting for Stratfor has been focused on the Chinese economy, especially Chinese demand for iron ore and coal, and draws heavily upon his own business activities and contacts in China and Australia. He has also reported on Chinese investment in Australia with one assessment titled ''Insight — China/mining'', suggesting that Chinese firms are unable to overcome habitual corruption when doing business in Australia. ''Where foreign companies do get access to tenements, they always seem to lose out because the mining sector in China is one of the most corrupt sectors of all,'' Mr O'Chee observed. ''This corruption is one of the impediments to Chinese interests not having accumulated even greater stakes in the resources sector in Australia.''

They simply cannot get it in their heads that the rule of law applies to mining projects in Australia. They refuse to believe that they have a right to receive a mining lease subject only to complying with relevant environmental permitting conditions. They think you have no credibility unless you tell them they need to bribe someone!!!'' Mr O'Chee has also reported on domestic Australian political developments including mining tax issues and the 2010 federal election, on one occasion revealing his partisan instincts when describing Treasurer Wayne Swan as ''not terribly smart'' and ''the most appalling grub you have ever met''. More significantly Mr O'Chee passed to Stratfor advance information relating to President Obama's 2011 speech to the Australian Parliament obtained from what he described as a source ''in a very high govt position''. This included confirmation that the President's visit would be accompanied by agreements on ''pre-positioning US equipment in Australia, increasing access to test ranges bases and conducting more joint exercises and training''. ''The US want increased military access and co-operation that will allow the US to broaden its posture in the region. The shared base idea is part of US efforts to diversify its Asian military footprint in a politically agreeable way,'' Mr O'Chee reported. Mr O'Chee's ''source handler'', Ms Richmond, directed that she be consulted on any use of the information and that there be ''no attribution with any publication''.