There's news of reportedly "malevolent" shysters who are damaging the country in more ways than one and blaming Australia's Tony Abbott for it.

ABC's Mark Scott said Tuesday that ABC is right in making secret intelligence public - the intel rooting from whistleblower Edward Snowdens NSA revelations.

ABC's managing director said that it was in the Australian "public interest" to reveal that in the year 2009, Australia monitored Indonesian leaders, according to a Herald Sun report. Scott reportedly knew the damage that making the information public would bring. According to Andrew Bolt of the Herald Sun, Scott put the country at a significant disadvantage to its competitors.

Australian-Indonesian Relations

In the year 1999, Bob Brown of the Greens demanded that a peacekeeping force invade the Asian country so that Australia can help in freeing East Timor. Although this was a major issue at the time according to analysts, the Greens are now reportedly shocked at what Scott did because it affects the country's diplomatic relationships.

Bill Shorten on Tuesday demanded Tony Abbott to apologise to the Asian country, telling Parliament that he believes that Australia should handle the situation the way America handled "a similar issue with Germany".

Asking Abbott to apologise is one way to embarrass the Prime Minister, sources say. Fairfax media is also rallying to get Abbott to apologise, one that the country "cannot afford" according to columnist Andrew Bolt's article in Herald Sun.

Woes Beyond Control?

Former foreign minister Alexander Downer told ABC that the fallout between Indonesia and Australia is beyond Tony Abbott's control. Downer also added that "bad things happen".

Diplomatic relations between Australia and Indonesia is in limbo according to experts in the wake of information coming out that Australia reportedly tapped the phone of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Indonesia's President. AU also reportedly monitored other Indonesian leaders according to the leak.

Yudhoyono said Wednesday that the Asian country is suspending its cooperation with Australia - intelligence and military - until the Yudhoyono's government gets an explanation from Australia.

According to ABC, Mr Downer said that the Indonesian President's reaction is "understandable" but added that while the country's relationship with Jakarta is important, Abbott's priority is to defend the country's intelligence assets.