George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Reynolds. The escalating terrorist situation in Iraq and Syria and the risk of returning foreign fighters is the greatest national security threat Australia has faced in many years. This problem does not only exist on the other side of the world, it has its origins in our own suburbs.

The number of Australians involved in the Syria and Iraq conflicts is significantly higher than in previous foreign conflicts. For example, of the 30 Australians who fought or trained with extremist groups in conflict zones between 1990 and 2010, including Pakistan and Afghanistan, 25 returned; of those, eight were convicted of terrorism-related offences on the Australian mainland. By comparison, we know that around 60 Australians are currently participating in the conflict zones in Syria and Iraq, while we know that another 100 Australians are assessed to be supporting the conflicts through activities such as funding and facilitation.

The national public terrorism alert level is at medium, which means that a terrorist attack could occur. The terror level is under constant review by the Australian government, based on advice from our national security agencies. This is an analytical judgement of ASIO—not a political decision of the government. The government is taking all necessary steps to keep Australia and Australia's interests safe. We will continue to work with state and territory governments and in consultation with our agencies to review and monitor the current threat environment.