Two Australian spymasters have publicly rebuked the government for misusing intelligence to attack opponents over supposed ties to China ahead of an election expected in May.

The current and former heads of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) made an unprecedented decision to speak out, with the latest intervention Thursday decrying "grubby" politics that they said was damaging to the national interest.

Current spymaster Mike Burgess prompted the furore last week when he revealed that a "puppeteer" backed by a foreign power had tried to influence an Australian election by buying off candidates.

Conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison -- trailing heavily in the polls -- seized on the revelation to repeatedly accuse the opposition centre-left Labor party of being the target of those bribes and in thrall to Beijing.

"The leader of the Labor party is the Chinese government's pick at this election," Morrison claimed again Thursday, prompting fury in parliament, after accusing the deputy leader of the opposition of being a "Manchurian candidate".

His defence minister Peter Dutton -- who has responsibility for intelligence agencies -- went as far as citing "open source and other intelligence" for the claims.

Burgess, who rarely makes public remarks, spoke out late Wednesday, telling public broadcaster ABC that "foreign interference is against all members of parliament, it doesn't go after one particular party or the other".

"ASIO is apolitical," he said. "I'll leave the politics to the politicians, but I'm very clear with everyone that I need to be, that that's not helpful for us," he said, rebuking the government.

Burgess' usually tight-lipped predecessor Dennis Richardson was even more forthright, accusing Morrison of a politics that was "grubby beyond belief" and acting in a way that is "damaging to the national interest".

"No Australian government has sought to engage in this type of conduct in recent decades," he told Sky News.

Morrison's government has taken a hawkish line on China and has tried to steer election debate away from his handling of the pandemic, bushfires and the treatment of women in Australian society.

Ties between Australia and China are at their lowest ebb in decades, with ministerial contacts frozen for two years and Chinese sanctions imposed on a host of Australian exports.

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China-born billionaire denies Australian election interference
Sydney (AFP) Feb 15, 2022
A Chinese-Australian billionaire on Tuesday denied being the unidentified "puppeteer" accused by Australia's top spy of trying to buy off election candidates on behalf of a foreign power. Property developer Chau Chak Wing said allegations that he was the unnamed person that funnelled hundreds of thousands of dollars to potential candidates to try to influence an election were "baseless and reckless". Mike Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, recently se ... read more