ATTORNEY-GENERAL ROBERT MCCLELLAND

Safeguarding Australia 2008

Hotel Realm, Canberra

Wednesday 23 July 2008, 9.30am

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Acknowledgements

Other Acknowledgements

Introduction

  1. It’s a great pleasure to be here today to speak about the Rudd Government’s New National Security Agenda.
  2. Our highest priority is making sure that all Australians are safe and secure.
  3. As I said at the Security in Government Conference in December last year, a change of Government presents an opportune time to evaluate – consolidate – enhance – and broaden our approach to national security. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.

National security challenges

  1. Perhaps the most significant changes we have seen to our daily lives over the last decade have been in the area of national security.
  2. Our national security arrangements and our security and law enforcement agencies have had to adapt to significant new challenges.
  3. The threats confronting Australia, particularly the threat from terrorism, are increasingly global in nature.
  4. And our concept of ‘national security’ has expanded.
    It includes not just traditional security concerns, but also emanates from threats such as pandemics, economic shocks and climate change.
  5. ‘National security’ now involves a wide range of issues – and, in turn, a wide range of agencies and activities.
  6. In this context, as a new Government, we have seized the opportunity to take a fresh look at our national security structures and arrangements. And we intend to benchmark them against world's best practice.
  7. Almost seven years on from September 11, it is appropriate that we ask whether we are doing everything we reasonably can to prevent a terrorist attack in Australia.
  8. Are we working together as well as we can - our security agencies, our law enforcement agencies, our prosecutors and our politicians?

Homeland & Border Security Review

  1. It was to achieve a more coordinated approach that the Prime Minister appointed Ric Smith to conduct a review of Australia’s homeland and border security arrangements.
  2. In leading that review, Mr Smith has aimed to identify areas for improvement in capability – both in individual agency and whole-of-government responses – to determine how best practice can be achieved in securing Australia.
  3. Whether our national security agencies are located in one or more portfolios, the key to effectively protecting Australia will be ensuring that our agencies are working as effectively and as cooperatively possible.
  4. The Prime Minister is currently considering the Government’s response to the recommendations of the Review.

The Street Review

  1. Agencies in my portfolio are already taking steps to improve the coordination of our counter‑terrorism operations.
  2. The Street Review of national security operations and interoperability of national security agencies has reinforced this process.
  3. The Street Review proposed a number of sensible and practical recommendations that agencies are in the process of implementing.
  4. In terms of preventing terrorism, the Street Review makes the very important, but self-evident point that we need close interaction and indeed integration between policing and intelligence agencies at street level on each significant operation.
  5. In a key step toward achieving this, the heads of the AFP and ASIO and the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions held their first interoperability meeting in May.
  6. The establishment of this forum implements one of the key recommendations of the Street Review.
  7. It provides the AFP, ASIO and the Director of Public Prosecutions a regular opportunity to review and resolve strategic priorities and interoperability issues with respect to national security operations.
  8. Cooperation between these agencies is key to ensuring better coordination, and ultimately, more successful prosecution of terrorism cases.
  9. Implementation of other Street Review recommendations is also well underway.
  10. There has been a high level staff exchange between AFP and ASIO aimed at ensuring they better understand each others protocols and procedures.
  11. The agencies are also close to finalising new Counter‑Terrorism Prosecution Guidelines and a new Joint Operations Protocol between the AFP and ASIO to provide for regular and accountable exchange of national security information and ongoing high-level and street-level consultation on joint investigations.
  12. We will continue to learn from the outcomes of counter-terrorism investigations and prosecutions.
    The Clarke inquiry into Dr Haneef’s case and the reviews of counter-terrorism laws will also ensure that deficiencies are identified and addressed.
  13. The public is entitled to know that our national security agencies are functioning as effectively as they can – from the streets of our suburbs to the highest levels - both individually and collectively.
  14. When it comes to countering terrorism and fighting extremism, working in silos is no longer acceptable.
  15. Our end goal is to use intelligence, law enforcement and counter extremism strategies not just to disrupt an isolated plot, but to thoroughly dismantle the infrastructure that would support it.

Community Engagement

  1. Of course, the Government cannot do all this on its own. The community also has an important part to play in protecting our national security.
  2. This is why the Government is committed to better engagement with the community on a whole range of security issues. This engagement was highlighted during the 2020 Summit in April when a security and prosperity stream was included.
  3. As I’ve said before, a terrorist attack here has as much prospect of emanating from a disgruntled and alienated Australian youth as it does from an overseas terrorist organisation.
  4. It’s an issue our security agencies understand.
  5. The Director-General of the ASIO has stated that radicalisation processes leading to violent extremism, and potentially terrorism, are present in our communities.
  6. This view is reinforced by recent convictions.
  7. While the previous Government was correct to devote resources to arresting and prosecuting those planning terrorist attacks there was much less focus on preventing home-grown extremism.
  8. I believe this is an area of national security where we can do better. We need to develop a much more sophisticated approach.
  9. I was recently in the UK and was very impressed by the innovative work they’re doing in this area.
  10. They’ve developed sophisticated programs to help Muslim communities resist violent extremism and to prevent the radicalisation of vulnerable individuals.
    Their approach is built on partnerships between a range of government agencies, police, local government and Muslim communities.
  11. This nexus of organisations, all of which are pulling in the same direction, is something Australia is yet to properly consider.
  12. That’s why I’ve tasked my Department to work with other relevant agencies to develop strategies to empower communities to counter extremism. Any measures adopted will be specific to our circumstances here in Australia.
  13. It is essential that we bolster the prevention aspects of our counter-terrorism arrangements and to work more closely with communities at risk.

Community Resilience

  1. As a Government that is taking an all-hazards approach to national security, we want to develop community resilience.
    That is – communities that have the ability to bounce back from adversity.
  2. When communities are resilient, they’re better able to deal with crises and are better equipped to deal with the consequences.
  3. Community resilience is also an important part of achieving social inclusion.
  4. Helping your mates in times of crisis and supporting the community are key elements of the Australian way of life.
    We want to see more Australians, whatever their background, becoming more engaged with their communities. It’s a very Australian thing to do.
  5. This is why my Department is working closely with local communities right around the country to promote resilience.
    We’re looking to strengthen both national partnerships for emergency management and a more hands on approach for communities to develop self-reliance.
  6. The reality is that Governments have limited resources to protect our country and our people, so it’s imperative we work in partnership.

Working with Business

  1. We’re keen to ensure that all key players work together to prepare for and respond to a range of threats and disasters.
  2. This includes improving coordination at the Australian Government level and strengthening national partnerships with state and territory governments, local governments, communities and the private sector.
  3. I’d like to share with you a few good examples of how we’re working to protect our critical infrastructure.
    These are the structures, supply chains, information technologies and communication networks that we all rely on.
    If they were rendered unavailable for an extended period, it would be a major blow to our social and economic wellbeing.
  4. Just recently, the accidental cutting of an Optus cable in Queensland provided an example of this.
  5. It resulted in thousands of mobile phone customers, as well as banks, and other businesses going offline for hours.
    Money was lost, consumers were annoyed. There was frustration all round.
  6. It is a reminder of the importance of critical infrastructure protection in modern life.
    The recent gas pipeline failure on Varanus Island off Western Australia is another example.
  7. In Australia up to 90 percent of critical infrastructure is privately owned, or operated on a commercial basis.
    It demands that Government builds strong partnerships with the private sector.
  8. An initiative in this area I have long supported is the Trusted Information Sharing Network for Critical Infrastructure Protection – known as the TISN.
  9. It allows a two-way dialogue between governments and business on the challenges facing the owners and operators of critical infrastructure.
  10. It’s helping us identify interdependencies within and between sectors, something impossible to do in isolation.
  11. We also have the Business Government Advisory Group on National Security.
  12. I chaired my first meeting of this group in May and was immensely encouraged by the commitment shown by industry leaders to the business-government partnership, and to our national security.
  13. This type of arrangement is admirable and very effective. It’s built on trust, not on regulation.
    And it’s probably best exemplified through the Critical Infrastructure Protection Modelling and Analysis – or CIPMA – program.
  14. It’s a world-leading computer modelling capability, which can generate what has been termed ‘virtual insight’ into the effects of a disaster.
  15. It’s a program that is highly respected by overseas agencies.
  16. It gives us an unprecedented ability to build resilience by generating data that shows how many buildings and people would be affected by an incident, and what services would be disrupted.
  17. The Government provided funding of $23.4 million over four years in the recent Budget to make CIPMA an operational part of our national security architecture.
  18. This program has enormous benefits because of its capacity to reduce inconvenience to the public, and to restrict the impact on business and the bottom line.
  19. One of the participants noted at a recent event that CIPMA knows more about their industry as a whole than any of the individual members. I think it’s testament to those involved that they’re prepared to expose their own potential vulnerabilities in order to ensure a comprehensive and coordinated approach to protecting our national security.

E-Security

  1. Of course, one area that’s evolving at a phenomenal pace is our electronic infrastructure.
  2. It’s now the norm to communicate and store items of great value in electronic form.
  3. But along with our increasing reliance on these systems comes the increasing threat of a hostile online environment.
    The Internet has become an anonymous, convenient and very profitable way for criminals to carry out their activities.
  4. This was highlighted very recently after companies such as Microsoft, Sun Microsystems and Cisco issued patches to their users to help combat a particularly dangerous internet vulnerability.
  5. The vulnerability enabled hackers to reroute Internet traffic, enabling them to obtain very sensitive business and personal information.
    The US Homeland Security Department called it “the largest synchronised security upgrade in the history of the Internet.”
  6. This electronic environment clearly presents a whole new way of attacking our social and economic wellbeing.
  7. It’s an environment this Government is alert to.
  8. It’s a reason why my colleague Senator Stephen Conroy, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy and I, have announced a whole-of-government review of e-security.
  9. My Department will lead a multi-agency team to conduct the review, and it will be completed by the end of this year.
    Our main aim is to secure Australia’s electronic networks so that governments, business and the community can use these services with greater confidence.
  10. I’d also like to say that as part of the review, we welcome written submissions from business and the broader community – and I encourage you all to contribute in this way.

Conclusion

  1. I hope I have been able to give you a better understanding of the Government’s new national security agenda.
    How we’re creating a more coordinated and comprehensive approach to making sure all Australians are safe and secure.
  2. Perhaps it’s best summed up by saying we’re determined to achieve this through strategic thinking and focussed action.
  3. We’re improving operational practices, community engagement and key partnerships, while also being mindful of the advice we’ve received from expert reviews as we look to build the nation’s resilience to all forms of threat and disaster.
  4. It’s certainly no easy task – but it’s a challenge we will tackle head on.

ENDS