A CANADIAN naval officer may have compromised top level Australian intelligence.

Jeffrey Paul Delisle is accused of selling intelligence gathered by the US, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Australia to Russian agents.

Documents released under Australian freedom of information laws show the high commissioner to Canada, Louise Hand, discussed the case with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper soon after Sub-Lieutenant Delisle's arrest on January 14, Fairfax Media reports.

Australian security sources told Fairfax that the alleged spy's access was "apparently very wide" and that "Australian reporting was inevitably compromised", though it is not known what state secrets might have been revealed.

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation was briefed through liaison with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the Fairfax report says.

Sub-Lieutenant Delisle is due to appear before the Nova Scotia supreme court for a preliminary hearing in October.

Originally published as Canadian sailor 'sold' Aussie secrets