Controversy
On 26 March 2009, Fairfax Media newspapers reported that officers in the Department of Defence had conducted a covert and unauthorised investigation into Fitzgibbon's friendship with a Chinese-Australian businesswoman in the belief that it constituted a security risk. This was alleged to have included officers from the Defence Signals Directorate accessing the computer network in Fitzgibbon's office to obtain the woman's bank details. The Department has launched an urgent inquiry into the reports. Nick Warner, the Department's Secretary, stated that he had not seen any information to confirm the claims and that there were no circumstances in which secret investigations into Ministers could be authorised. Fitzgibbon was reported to be "furious" about the investigation, and has suggested that it may have been conducted by officials opposed to his reforms to the Australian Defence Organisation.
Fitzgibbon resigned as Minister for Defence on 4 June 2009 after admitting that meetings held between his brother, the head of the health fund NIB, and Defence officials concerning business opportunities had breached the Ministerial Code of Conduct.
Read more about this topic: Joel Fitzgibbon
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