2024 Television/Video: Current Affairs Short (Under 20 Minutes)

Nick McKenzie, Amelia Ballinger and Michael Bachelard’s report exposed a power play by one of Australia’s most senior public servants, Michael Pezzullo. Pezzullo was the head of the Home Affairs department, responsible for Australia’s national security. McKenzie and his team legally obtained hundreds of encrypted messages Pezzullo had sent to influential Liberal Party powerbroker Scott Briggs. These showed Pezzullo’s efforts to build his power, reshape successive coalition governments and influence Australia’s national security regime.

The messages also showed how Pezzullo spent years using a political backchannel to two Liberal prime ministers to undermine his perceived political and public service enemies, promote the careers of conservative politicians he considered allies, and lobby to muzzle the press.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke to the Home Affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, about the program on the night of the broadcast. O’Neil referred concerns to the Australian Public Service Commissioner, who named former senior public servant Lynelle Briggs to conduct the inquiry. Pezzullo was asked to step aside. Six weeks later, after the inquiry found he had breached the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct, he was fired by the prime minister.

Nick McKenzie is a Walkley Award-winning investigative reporter with The Age. Amelia Ballinger is a Walkley Award-winning journalist and producer with 60 Minutes. Michael Bachelard is a Walkley Award-winning investigative reporter with The Age.