The powerful head of Home Affairs called the deputy commissioner of the Australian Federal Police to congratulate him on raiding the home of a journalist.
Neil Gaughan relayed the conversation with Home Affairs Secretary Michael Pezzullo in an email to AFP staff on the evening of the 4 June raid.
"Good work by all involved," Mr Gaughan wrote.
"I also received a call this evening from the Sec DHA (Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs) who is fully supportive of the actions of the AFP and ask (sic) me to pass on my thanks to the team involved.
Home Affairs Secretary Michael Pezzullo. Source: SBS News
"Well done - tomorrow is another day."
The AFP raid on the Canberra home of News Corp reporter Annika Smethurst related to an article based on leaked government information.
With questions raised about his judgment, Michael Pezzullo has defended the telephone call.
"DC Gaughan is a colleague," Mr Pezzullo told the ABC.
"In the discussion in question, I expressed my compliments to him and his officers on their professionalism and their diligent focus on independently enforcing the laws of the land, as the parliament has passed them.
The AFP raided the home of Canberra journalist Annika Smethurst over a story published last year. Source: ABC Australia
"To conflate the expression of professional compliments to colleagues with a supposed attitude to press freedom is not an accurate comparison."
Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus wants to know more about the conversation in question.
"If that is so, that's something I'll certainly be very interested in hearing more details about," Mr Dreyfus told reporters in Canberra on Thursday.
Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus. Source: AAP
