Chris Hayes (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Our society is on a heightened alert when it comes to threats of terror, and it certainly impacts on our national security. In my own electorate last year there was a series of raids that led to the arrests of a number of terror suspects, which demonstrates just how real the threat is and how home grown it can be. Even Prime Minister Blair reminded us of the constant threat in his recent address to parliament. Despite the real prospect of some form of terrorist attack on Australian soil and all the efforts to train people to lessen that threat and to deal with the aftermath, it is not, quite frankly, as big a fear for the majority of Australians as many might think.

Most Australians want to know that they will be safe in their homes and that, when they go out, they will be safe in the knowledge that their property will still be there when they return. It is my concern, and I know it is certainly the concern of a number of serving and former police officers, that this government’s obsession with counter-terrorism is coming at the cost of tackling day-to-day criminal activities. While the state governments have actively pursued strategies that have resulted in reduced property and other crimes, as reported by the Institute of Criminology, there is a very real concern that at some point in time something has to give, as terror takes on a greater focus for our police forces.

Last week, John Broome, the former head of the NCA, expressed the concern that police have been focusing on counter-terrorism measures at the expense of organised crime. He told the Australian:

Police can’t help but respond to direct pressure to pursue terrorists, and inevitably resources get diverted from other areas.

He went on to indicate that, as police follow up on terrorists’ activities, police are being diverted from ongoing investigations into other criminal activities. Bob Bottom, a noted crime expert, only recently said that the AFP had downgraded their existing crime squads. In fact, around 600 new roles devoted to counter-terrorism have been created in the AFP, which have been filled by existing police and support staff. Their policing roles in the areas where they came from are not being backfilled.

Terrorist activities are a real threat, but the reality is that, for most people, there is a significantly greater chance of being the victim of a crime such as home invasion, car theft or assault or having people sell their kids drugs. They are more likely to experience that than to experience any incident of terrorism. It concerns me that, while the government is continuing to push the terrorist barrow for short-term electoral gain, the real criminal activities that impact on people are being relegated to a secondary consideration.