Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Hansard source

Can I thank the member for that question and his interest in the national security of our country. No government has been more dedicated to the capability and resourcing of the Australian Federal Police than this one. We have invested $1½ billion to combat terrorism, $116 million for the National Anti-Gangs Squad, $128 million for the Serious Financial Crime Taskforce and $180 million for the physical protection of the Australian Federal Police, the officers who protect us. And yesterday, on top of this funding, we announced a $321.4 million increase in the AFP's domestic capability. This represents the single largest funding for the AFP's domestic capability within the past decade, and it represents our unwavering commitment to fighting crime and protecting Australia's national security.

We know that the criminal threats facing Australia are becoming more complex, and the Australian Federal Police require specialist capability and specialist personnel to effectively respond. This funding that we announced yesterday will provide an extra 100 intelligence experts, over 100 tactical response and covert surveillance specialists and almost 100 forensics specialists to advance our fight against crime and terrorism. Specifically, this will equip the AFP with specialist response capabilities, including negotiators, tactical response officers, bomb squad technicians and canine resources capable of detecting drugs, cash and explosives. It will also equip the AFP with extra covert, physical and technical capabilities, which include surveillance teams, online investigators, online operations members and police technical functions. Finally, it will give them extra forensics and intelligence capabilities, including digital forensics, crime scene investigators, firearms specialists, biometric experts, forensic intelligence analysts and operational intelligence professionals. This will allow the Australian Federal Police to fast-track criminal investigations, lock up criminals sooner and target specific crime types including terrorism and the organised criminal gangs that peddle the misery of drugs.

I have been asked by the member about alternative policies. This record investment that we announced yesterday is in stark contrast to the six years of the Labor government between 2007 and 2013. During that time, they systematically stripped funding, capability and personnel from our law enforcement community. Let me just go through the record. From the Australian Federal Police, a quarter of a billion dollars and almost 100 personnel were cut, and $22 million was cut from the Australian Crime Commission and a third slashed from their personnel. Only the coalition government protects Australia's national security. Only the coalition government funds the Australian Federal Police— (Time expired)

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