John Howard likely to give evidence at Bernard Collaery trial, Rex Patrick tells parliament

Under parliamentary privilege, independent senator says Australia's 2004 Timor-Leste spy mission was neither legal nor initiated properly'

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Australia's 2004 spy mission targeting Timor-Leste during oil and gas negotiations was neither legal nor initiated properly" and former prime minister John Howard is likely to be called to give evidence at the trial of Bernard Collaery, the independent senator Rex Patrick has told parliament.

Late on Tuesday, Patrick used parliamentary privilege to give some hints" about what was happening in the criminal case against Collaery, saying Australians have a right to know.