Andrew Wilkie

Andrew Wilkie is a former senior intelligence officer who made international headlines when he publicly resigned from the Office of National Assessments (ONA) in March 2003 over his opposition to the Iraq war. He was the only serving intelligence official in Australia, the UK, and the US to resign publicly before the invasion, believing that Iraq did not pose a sufficient threat to justify military action. His bold stance continues to shape his views on security, ethics, and whistleblowing.

After his resignation, Andrew became an outspoken critic of government policy, running for public office as an Independent. He gained national attention in the 2004 federal election when he stood against Prime Minister John Howard in the Sydney seat of Bennelong, forcing the Prime Minister to preferences and making the seat marginal. Andrew later ran in the 2010 Tasmanian State election, coming within 315 votes of being elected, and in the same year, won the Denison seat in the 2010 federal election, taking the previously safe seat from the Australian Labor Party in one of the biggest swings of the election.

Andrew has spoken widely in Australia, the UK, the US, and New Zealand on topics such as security, intelligence, whistleblowing, and personal resilience in the face of powerful adversaries. He has been involved in over 100 intelligence assessments during his tenure at ONA and served in the Australian Defence Force, achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel. He also worked with American defence contractor Raytheon in various management roles.

A respected advocate for transparency and accountability, Andrew is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Australian Intelligence Community Medallion and the UN Association of Australia Whistleblower Award. He is also the author of the best-selling book Axis of Deceit, which recounts his experiences in the intelligence community and his fight for truth.