
In part two of our deep dive into the Petrov Affair, we unpack the political chaos that followed one of Australia’s biggest Cold War scandals. The defection of a Soviet spy didn’t just make headlines, it reshaped an election, launched a Royal Commission, and sent the Labor Party spiralling into accusations of communism. We look at how the opposition leader’s desperate attempt to clear his name became a full-blown witch hunt, how fear shaped the nation’s politics, and what life looked like for the Petrov's after the dust settled, trying to then live quietly in Australia.