New ministry to tackle changing face of terrorism

David Bushby says safety and security of citizens is at the heart of Home Affairs

THE primary responsibility of a national government is the defence and security of its citizens.

Australians are well aware of the global threat to security from terrorism and other forms of disruption, and rightly expect the Federal Government to do all in its power to ensure their safety.

However, Member for Denison Andrew Wilkie, in his Talking Point piece (Mercury, August 3) demonstrates reckless ignorance of the importance of maintaining strong and effective national security measures.

The point Wilkie fails to acknowledge is the Federal Government is dealing with emerging threats, not closing the barn door after the horse has bolted. Australia’s security agencies are the best, but we should always strive to be better and as a government we are putting in place measures to strengthen our security.

This is why the Government is establishing the Home Affairs Ministry.

The United Kingdom and the US have brought their relevant agencies into one department and there is a clear imperative to do the same here. The existing departments will not be distracted from their key roles during the transition.

Establishment of a Home Affairs portfolio reflects the Government’s commitment to the most significant reforms to domestic security in 40 years and will proactively seek to keep our nation ahead of any threats, rather than reacting in the aftermath of a crisis.

Wilkie should take heed of the reality that Australia’s security environment today is far more complex than it was even 12 months ago, let alone in the 16 years since he was an analyst in the Office of National Assessments.

The Government is acting to ensure the nation’s security arrangements are fit for the many challenges of today and into the future.

The horrific attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York marked a turning point in the global terrorism threat. Between 2001 and 2008, six people were convicted of terrorism-related offences in Australia. By contrast, since the national terrorist alert level was raised to “probable” in September 2014, there have been five terrorist attacks in Australia, with the tragic death of three innocent people.

In that period, 13 imminent terrorist attacks have been thwarted and 70 people have been arrested for terrorism offences. The Government’s record is clear, as is the increased threat hanging over Australia. In the face of an evolving threat, maintaining the status quo is not an option.

The growing threat of homegrown terrorism is significant. The Government will continue to investigate people for terror-related crimes. But terrorism is not the only threat to our prosperity and security. Australia’s businesses sector, government institutions and communities are increasingly attractive targets for foreign espionage and influence. In addition, organised crime such as people smuggling, drug trafficking, fraud, cyberterrorism and other offences cost our nation more than $36 billion a year.

There are unprecedented challenges facing our security agencies. Insidious non-state actors and emerging technology, such as ubiquitous encryption, drastically alter the security landscape.

Minister for Immigration and Border Security Peter Dutton used the L’Estrange/ Merchant review of the national intelligence community to highlight how Australia’s changing security environment is driving the need for closer co-operation.

The need to bring security organisations into one coordinated ministry has never been more critical. Reviews of Australia’s domestic security arrangements have argued for stronger co-operation and coordination between security and intelligence agencies for more than a decade.

Measures undertaken in those times have delivered security outcomes, but these ad hoc arrangements have reached their limit. Australia needs to stay ahead of future threats by strengthening the planning, co-operation and coordination of our domestic security arrangements. A Home Affairs portfolio is the best way to achieve that.

The events of the past few weeks, with a real threat to domestic aviation, shows this more than ever. Senator David Bushby is the Chief Government Whip in the Senate and Tasmania’s only member of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.