Johnston says no to public inquiry on foreign interference

Former governor general David Johnston says there's no need for a formal inquiry into allegations of foreign meddling in the past two federal elections.

While he says that could not be done transparently because of the sensitivity of the intelligence involved, he does believe public hearings should be held.

Johnston says there are serious shortcomings in the way intelligence is communicated and processed from security agencies through to government.

Based on access to classified documents and security agencies, he has concluded that specific accusations of interference were less concerning than media reports suggested.