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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has dismissed concerns about a police raid on a journalist's home, saying he's never troubled about laws being upheld.

The Australian Federal Police searched the home, computer and mobile phone of Canberra-based News Corp Australia journalist Annika Smethurst on Monday, more than 400 days after she wrote a story detailing an alleged government proposal to spy on Australians.

Her story last year included images of letters between the heads of the Home Affairs and Defence departments discussing potential new powers for the Australian Signals Directorate.

The powers would have allowed the ASD's cyber sleuths to monitor Australian citizens and businesses on home soil, rather than being limited to gathering intelligence on foreigners, the story said.

The raid was slammed by the media union, press freedom advocates and the federal opposition, while News Corp Australia described the raid as 'outrageous and heavy handed'. 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his wife Jenny met with the Queen in London overnight. He later dismissed concerns about a police raid on journalist Annika Smethurst's home

Mr Morrison is currently on his first official visit to the UK as Prime Minister and met with the Queen early Wednesday.

He says he was comfortable with what happened with the raid after originally telling reporters that AFP were better placed to comment on the ongoing matter.

'Australians believe strongly in the freedom of the press, we have clear rules and protections for freedom of the press and there are also clear rules protecting Australia's national security. And everyone should operate in accordance with all those laws passed by our parliament,' Mr Morrison said. 

'I support the powers that the agencies have under our laws.' 

When pressed whether it 'bothered' him to see a reporter's home being raided, the prime minister appeared unconcerned.

'It never troubles me that our laws are being upheld,' Mr Morrison said. 

The prime minister said he supported the powers that police and security agencies have under current laws, and added there were no government plans to give greater protections to journalists.

The federal Labor opposition has asked for a briefing on what occurred, with deputy leader Richard Marles saying it's up to Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton to tell the public why it happened.

Australian Federal Police officers searched the home, computer and mobile phone of Canberra-based News Corp Australia journalist Annika Smethurst (pictured)

'We've asked for a briefing from the Minister about exactly what occurred here,' Mr Marles said.

'But I think it's important for the Minister to give an explanation to the Australian people about what occurred here.'

Centre Alliance Senator Rex Patrick believes the intimidation of a journalist is a 'worrying development'.

He plans to follow up the matter in Senate estimates hearings later in the year and question why AFP officers spent seven hours raiding Smethurst's home rather than her press gallery office.

'There are serious questions about the timing of the raid, why the raid occurred only at her home, and indeed what steps had been taken prior to the raid being conducted,' he told ABC Radio on Wednesday. 

Ms Smethurst broke her silence on Tuesday night after she received a message of public support from a former primary school teacher. 

'You are loyal, strong , clever and one of the loveliest girls I ever taught! #thinkingofyou,' Paul Flanagan tweeted.

She shared the message with her followers. 

'I was fairly stoic today until I read this message from my grade six teacher. Thank you Mr Flanagan, you were one of the best teachers I had right at the time I needed it,' Ms Smethurst tweeted.

Ms Smethurst broke her silence on Tuesday night following a message from a former teacher

The Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery committee described the raid as 'alarming for all Australians' and an attack on press freedom.

'It is the public interest for us to know of any plan for greater powers to monitor our messages,' it said in a statement. 

'Democracy suffers when journalists are raided for reporting on governments.' 

The AFP said the raid is in relation to 'alleged unauthorised disclosure of national security information' and that no arrests are expected. 

'Police will allege the unauthorised disclosure of these specific documents undermines Australia's national security,' the agency said in a statement.   

'This raid demonstrates a dangerous act of intimidation towards those committed to telling uncomfortable truths,' a spokesperson said.

'What's gone on this morning sends clear and dangerous signals to journalists and newsrooms across Australia. This will chill public interest reporting.'

2GB radio host Ben Fordham tweeted Ms Smethurst his support on Tuesday before claiming he was the subject of a Home Affairs inquiry.  

'My thoughts are with @annikasmethurst as her home is raided over a leak,' he tweeted.

'I've been informed today I'm also the subject of a Home Affairs inquiry 'which could lead to an AFP criminal investigation'.' 

2GB radio host Ben Fordham tweeted Ms Smethurst his support on Tuesday before claiming he was the subject of a Home Affairs inquiry

Ben Fordham said the investigation was in relation to his story about six illegal boats heading towards Australian shores. 

He said the investigation was in relation to his story about six illegal boats heading towards Australian shores.  

Mr Fordham said a senior department source told him that Mr Dutton had travelled to Sri Lanka because 'there could be up to six boats in play'. 

'I've been told some of these journeys have already been disrupted but it's got Home Affairs worried that others are on the way,' Mr Fordham told his listeners on Monday.

'Is there a chance that the people smugglers were able to flog seats on boats… because they thought Labor was going to win the election?'

When contacted at the time, a department spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia it would not be commenting on on-water and intelligence matters.

Mr Fordham said his producer was contacted an hour after the story was broadcast on Monday by a department official.

'We were told Home Affairs would investigate the disclosure and they would like me to assist that investigation,' he told news.com.au.  

Mr Fordham later told his 2GB listeners: 'The chances of me revealing my sources is zero. Not today, not tomorrow, next week or next month. There is not a hope in hell of that happening.'

News Corp Australia said the raid was 'outrageous and heavy handed'. 'This raid demonstrates a dangerous act of intimidation towards those committed to telling uncomfortable truths,' a spokesperson said

Marcus Strom from the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance said the government was trying to harass and intimidate journalists into withholding information from the public.

'Yet again, we have an example of a government aiming to punish those who have brought to light vital information. Australians are entitled to know what their governments do in their name,' Mr Strom said.

Digital Rights Watch said the incident was 'incredibly worrying'.

'This is a gross abuse of national security powers - using them to reinforce a culture of secrecy and lack of accountability in our law enforcement apparatus,' chair Tim Singleton Norton said.

Labor home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally says she learnt of the raid while the party's leadership was meeting in Brisbane.

'It is now incumbent upon the government and the AFP to speak more on this matter.'

Defence secretary Greg Moriarty, Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo and ASD director Mike Burgess were quick to release a joint statement after the story was published last year, rejecting its content.

'There is no proposal to increase the ASD's powers to collect intelligence on Australians or to covertly access their private data,' they said.

They said ASD's cyber security function was being enhanced under laws establishing the organisation as an independent statutory agency within Defence.

But they argued its function entails 'protecting Australians from cyber-enabled crime and cyber-attacks, and not collecting intelligence on Australians'.