A former ASIO (Australian Security Intelligence Organisation) agent Marcus claims to have warned security agencies about the Bondi gunmen years before last December’s terror attack, and says Australians “deserve to know” what led to the shooting.

He is seeking to return to Australia to give evidence to the Bondi royal commission in person. His first visa application was rejected; however, he recently lodged a new one.

In a statement provided to the ABC, Marcus said he wants to provide whatever insights he can to understand how the shooting came to take place. The former agent spent years infiltrating Islamic extremist groups in western Sydney, working as a paid source for domestic spy agency ASIO. His cover was eventually blown, and he fell out with the organization, which has since described him as a “disgruntled and unreliable source” — characterisations Marcus rejects.

Marcus is currently living in an undisclosed location abroad, and has said he fears for his safety. He claims he warned ASIO about the Akrams years before the attack, but the agency ignored his concerns.

The royal commission and New South Wales police have both expressed an interest in speaking with Marcus, and a letter from the royal commission was provided with his first visa application. Government sources have pointed to the royal commission not formally calling Marcus as a witness; however, the ABC has seen correspondence from the royal commission expressing its interest in hearing from him. Those sources also suggested to the ABC that Marcus’ evidence could be given remotely, and still be heard securely.

Several whistleblower advocacy groups have aired their support for Marcus’s bid to return to Australia. The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network has also supported his bid to return.

Japan’s defence minister will visit Canberra this week, which is the highest level engagement with Australia after controversy over Prime Minister Albanese’s comments about a gift of melons from prime minister Sanae Takaichi.

The defence minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, will meet his counterpart and deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, on Tuesday, with discussions focused on Australia’s acquisition of Japan’s Mogami-class frigates and enhanced security cooperation.

Koizumi’s visit comes after a week in which Albanese defended himself over comments made on the Bush Deep podcast, released last month. He was discussing a pair of Japanese melons presented by Takaichi during a visit to Canberra earlier this year, and, while appearing to make hand gestures in front of his chest, said “she brought two, as you do”.

Facing days of criticism from the opposition and in the media, Albanese has insisted his hand gestures and a comment about melons were misinterpreted and were not innuendo about breasts. The opposition criticised Albanese for putting at risk close relations with one of Australia’s most important partners in Asia.

Public comments from Japan’s ambassador to Australia on Wednesday suggested Takaichi’s government wanted to avoid a diplomatic incident over the comments, which were initially not controversial but soon sparked strong criticism, including by a former envoy to Australia.

Japan’s government refrained from public comments on the issue until Wednesday, when its current ambassador to Australia Kazuhiro Suzuki released a statement not raising any further issue with Albanese’s conduct.

Victorian Liberal Party candidate for Glen Waverley, Jacky Sun, has been counselled by the party following questions over a “volunteer internship program” recruiting international students for political volunteering.

The issue arose at a Mandarin-speaking university student orientation event held in North Melbourne this Saturday. Bilingual posters were distributed promoting a “volunteer internship program” running from August to November. Tasks included door-knocking, letter-dropping and attending campaign fundraising events. Participants were also offered opportunities to meet politicians and obtain reference letters.

The posters did not identify any political party or candidate. However, a Liberal campaign poster featuring Jacky Sun was displayed on the other side of an A-frame sign holding the volunteer posters. One student said that after asking the recruiters, she was told the program was for “the opposition”, would mainly operate in Glen Waverley, and required participants to speak Mandarin.

A Liberal spokesperson did not directly answer whether the program was recruiting volunteers for Jacky Sun or the Liberal Party. The spokesperson said Sun was not present at the event and stressed that “this is not Liberal Party material”. The party also confirmed that Sun had been “counselled” over the matter, but did not explain the specific reason.

The issue also involves Jacky Sun’s wife, scientist Danzi Song. The email address listed on the English poster was associated with “Daisy Song Consulting”, while Danzi Song uses the English name Daisy Song on LinkedIn. However, the ABC could not independently confirm whether the email address belongs to her, and she did not respond to inquiries.

Commentary

The program was promoted as an “internship”, community service opportunity and a chance to receive a reference letter, while also offering access to politicians. However, the posters did not clearly identify which political party or candidate was involved. For international students with limited political experience or knowledge of Victorian politics, this could easily appear to be a general community volunteering opportunity, raising questions about transparency.

More notably, contact details associated with Jacky Sun’s wife appeared on the poster. While there is currently no evidence proving a direct connection between the two, the link itself raises questions about whether the recruitment program was connected to Jacky Sun’s campaign.

For a political candidate, questions surrounding political recruitment, transparency and electoral rules can affect public perception. With the Liberal Party confirming that Sun was counselled but providing no specific explanation, failing to clarify the questions surrounding the program could have a negative impact on his political image.