[5] Later that month reports from Der Spiegel and Fairfax Media stated that Australian embassies and diplomatic posts in Asia were being used to intercept phone calls and data, including during the 2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference.

[6] In 2004 during the East Timor crisis, Indonesia bugged Australia's embassy in Jakarta and tried to recruit Australians as spies, retiring Indonesian intelligence chief General Abdullah Mahmud Hendropriyono admitted.

[9] Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott initially declined to apologise or comment on the matter, prompting accusations from President Yudhoyono that he had "belittled" Indonesia's response to the issue.

[9] The next day, Indonesia responded by reviewing all areas of bilateral cooperation, including on issues around people smuggling, a major component of the Abbott government's Operation Sovereign Borders policy.

[14] In contrast, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten declined to criticise Abbott, instead emphasising the importance of the bilateral relationship, and arguing that the government's response should be a "Team Australia moment".