Turnbull creates new super ministry for national security
AUSTRALIA: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has confirmed a dramatic shake-up of Australia’s security, police and intelligence agencies that will hand significant new powers to the current Immigration Minister, Peter Dutton.
A new department of Home Affairs that brings together domestic spy agency ASIO, the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Border Force, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, AUSTRAC and the office of transport security will be put together over the next year.
And Turnbull has also announced the government would, in response to the L’Estrange review of Australia’s intelligence agencies, establish an Office of National Intelligence and that the Australian Signals Directorate will also be established as an independent statutory authority.
The new Office of National Intelligence will co-ordinate intelligence policy and is in line with agencies in Australia’s ‘‘Five Eyes’’ intelligence partners in the US, Britain, Canada and New Zealand.
Turnbull was joined by Immigration Minister Peter Dutton - the big winner from the shake up - and AttorneyGeneral George Brandis and Justice Minister Michael Keenan.
The changes are to be finalised by June 30, 2018 - subject to approval of the National Security Committee of Cabinet with Dutton to work with Brandis in bedding down the changes.
Brandis will lose responsibility for ASIO and Keenan will lose responsibility for the AFP under the changes.
However Turnbull was at pains to praise both men and said the attorneygeneral’s oversight of Australia’s domestic security and law enforcement agencies would be strengthened, with the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security and the independent national security legislation monitor moving into his portfolio.
Turnbull said Australia needed these reforms ’’not because the system is broken, but because our security environment is evolving quickly. It is becoming more complex ... we need a better structure to meet the challenge of the times and that is why we are adopting a model which is closer to the British Home Office than the large-scale American Homeland Security Department’’.
‘‘The reforms I am announcing today will entrench the co-operation between the agencies, which has helped us thwart 12 terrorist attacks and stop 31 people smuggling ventures in recent times.’’
‘‘Importantly, ASIO, AFP and Australian Border Force will all report directly to the home affairs minister. This will ensure that these three important agencies have direct reporting into the cabinet.’’
The decision was announced after a meeting of the National Security Committee of Cabinet yesterday morning. The NSC includes Turnbull and cabinet ministers Barnaby Joyce, Julie Bishop, Scott Morrison, George Brandis, Marise Payne and Dutton.
The prime minister said Australia had been well-served by its intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies but there was no room for complacency or ‘‘set and forget’’.
He described the changes as the ‘‘the most significant reform of Australia’s national intelligence and domestic security arrangements and their oversight in more than 40 years’’.
The shake up comes despite some push-back from the defence, intelligence and security establishment, and despite leading moderates in the cabinet including Bishop, Payne, Brandis and to a lesser extent, Pyne. - Fairfax