5 Jun 2015

Senator "looked after" on Nauru - Aus PM

3:38 pm on 5 June 2015

The Australian Prime Minister has rejected suggestions a Greens senator was being spied on while in Nauru, saying she was instead being looked after.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson

It has been reported private security guards ran a secret surveillance operation on senator Sarah Hanson-Young while she was visiting the Australian-run detention centre in December 2013.

A former contractor to Wilson Security claims employees followed the senator around the island, set up an "observation post" to watch her hotel room and gave her the codename "Raven".

SBS reports Tony Abbott as saying he did not accept the senator was subject to surveillance, but was in fact being looked after.

Wilson Security denies a team was organised to spy on the senator, but says individuals have been disciplined for acting beyond their brief.