Anthony Byrne (Holt, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I will address the issue of the National Security Legislation Monitor, if I may. It is a fundamentally important question. I served on the Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security—it is a great honour to be selected. The selection is made by the Prime Minister of the day or the Leader of the Opposition. In a general sense, the representatives work on a very bipartisan basis. I do not know whether the member for Swan is aware of this but all the reports released by the joint intelligence committee—formerly the Joint Committee on ASIO, ASIS and DSD—have been unanimous. On one occasion, I think, there was a dissenting comment but not a dissent to the report, which says a lot about the bipartisanship of this place with respect to national security. In my term, the chair of the committee was Senator Alan Ferguson, who performed his duties with great honour and dignity and certainly was a great representative of the committee.

As I have said, national security is one of the most important aspects of public policy and I am proud of the leadership the Rudd government has shown in this area. Appointing the National Security Adviser, who is Duncan Lewis, is just one way in which the Rudd government has shown leadership in the area. Within the Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio, there are a number of branches which do fundamentally important work in the field of national security. The National Security and International Policy Group provides advice, coordination and leadership in the development of a secure, coordinated and effective national security information and management environment.

I note in this year’s portfolio budget statements additional funding has been provided for an independent review of the intelligence community. The work of the National Security and International Policy Group is first rate and the government strongly supports their ongoing work. I would hate to think what effect the opposition’s proposed freeze on public service recruitment would have on this important work, and I do not say that lightly. I know at estimates recently the Secretary to the Department of Finance and Deregulation expressed concern that this freeze would almost rule out the capacity to take on graduates each year. Graduates are a vital asset in training our future public service leaders and this would be a huge loss. I met DFAT graduates only last week and was incredibly impressed by the standard of these particular graduates. Naturally the loss of their contribution would have a significant effect on the department’s ability to deliver services and policy. In line with the Rudd government’s commitment to national security and to government accountability, we have made a commitment to implement the National Security Legislation Monitor.

This commitment arose out of the recommendations of the Security Legislation Review Committee, in 2006, and the committee that I was on, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security and the report of the inquiry into the case of Dr Mohammed Haneef, which was compiled by the Hon. John Clarke. The purpose of the monitor is to ensure that Australia’s counterterrorism and national security legislation operates in an effective and accountable manner, is consistent with international human rights law and helps maintain public confidence in the applicable laws. The monitor will review the operation, effectiveness and implications of counterterrorism and national security legislation and report findings, comments and recommendations to the Prime Minister and, in turn, the parliament on an annual basis. The monitor will also consider whether Australia’s counterterrorism and national security legislation remains necessary and contains appropriate safeguards for protecting individual’s rights.

I understand that the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet is presently working with the Attorney-General’s Department to develop a strategy, drawing stakeholder agencies together to identify legislation that falls within the monitor’s purview and to suggest potential review activities that the monitor may wish to undertake in the first 12 months of operation.

I wish to reiterate what I said earlier about national security because it is so vitally important. As I have said, I was on the Parliamentary Joint Committee of Intelligence and Security in 2006, which made the recommendation regarding the national security legislation monitor. The fact that we are implementing this is testament to our commitment to national security. We are also implementing it and funding national security agencies in a manner that is responsible and that has our nation’s best interests at its core.

Incidents, both internationally and domestically—and, tragically, that includes today’s incident—have reaffirmed the need for a trustworthy government that acts in the nation’s interests. The Rudd government has a proven track record on this.

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