Jeannie Ferris (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Justice and Customs, Senator Ellison. Will the minister update the Senate on the range of ties that exist between law enforcement agencies in Australia and the United States?

Chris Ellison (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice and Customs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is an important question, given the recent initiatives which have been entered into between Australia and the United States. An important one was the signing of an MOU in the United States in September between the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police and American authorities to have Australian Federal Police involvement with the Joint Interagency Task Force West, which is based in Hawaii. JIATF West, as it is known, is an essential part of American border protection, and it is designed to forwardly engage in the Asia-Pacific region. This brings to the table a very important strategic agreement between the United States and Australia in embarking upon fighting transnational crime and terrorism in our region.

Australian Customs have also sought and found agreement in principle to have Australian Customs Service involved with JIATF West, which was moved from San Diego to Hawaii, to increase that agency’s attention on our region—and quite justifiably so, given the potential threats that exist in the South-East Asian region and the Pacific. That is why it is so important that Australia engage with the United States, and that the resources available to the United States and our combined expertise are used to fight such things as transnational crime—people-smuggling, human trafficking, illicit drugs—and terrorism.

As well as that, the Australian Federal Police and the FBI signed an agreement in September this year, which is a statement of intent on combating transnational crime and enhancing cooperation between the FBI and the Australian Federal Police. In addition, a further agreement was signed between the Drug Enforcement Agency of America and the Australian Federal Police enhancing cooperation in the fight against illicit drug trafficking. That is an essential part of our relationship with the United States. The fight against illicit drugs is not one that we in Australia can conduct on our own. We have to have strong allies. We have one in the United States and that is why it is so important we have these close relationships. These initiatives are tightening the wing nuts, if you like, on the very strong relationship we have in the fight against transnational crime and terrorism.

There are a range of other factors where we interact with the United States, with agencies such as AusTrac, our financial intelligence unit, which does a fantastic job countering money laundering. It was described as ‘gold plate’ by the former director of FinCEN, which is the financial intelligence unit of the United States. Those two agencies work very closely together. And the Australian Customs Service has a very close relationship with US Customs and Border Protection, and quite rightly so when you look at the threats of the supply chain around the world, particularly in our region. It is an important question that Senator Ferris has asked. All Australians would want to know about the work we are doing with the United States in our region.

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.