Michael Forshaw (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is directed to Senator Johnston, the Minister for Justice and Customs. Can the minister confirm that the Australian Federal Police are now paying $5 million a year in rent for new premises at Anzac Park West that they cannot move into? Does the minister know how long this bizarre arrangement will continue? Does it not follow reports last month that the government spent $70 million on refurbishments to the Anzac Park West building before realising that it would be too small for its new AFP tenants? Didn’t the government also pay $6 million to rent empty units it could not use in Port Moresby? Why does the government continue to spend millions of dollars of public money in rent for buildings for the Australian Federal Police that they cannot use?

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

Can I commence to answer the honourable senator’s question—and I thank him for it—by saying that in the past five years the Australian Federal Police have grown by over 300 per cent. This is because there has been, for the benefit and the interest of the senator, a huge extra burden applied to the very important government agency in terms of counterterrorism and in terms of managing a whole host of criminal incursions into this country in the drug trade, sex slavery, child pornography—a whole host of things.

A national headquarters for the AFP has been a priority for a number of years. In 2001 the AFP outlined the need for all headquarters functions, now totalling 16 sites around Canberra, to be located within a single site in the ACT. Anzac Park West was identified in 2004 as a location where both operational and administrative staff could work together in order to achieve business efficiencies. As I say, in the last five years this organisation has grown at a rate of 300 per cent. Anzac Park East, a building located adjacent to Anzac Park West, was considered as a second headquarters for the AFP. Unfortunately, the options put forward so far in relation to Anzac Park East will not meet the objectives of this very rapidly expanding agency. The AFP is investigating alternatives for a new headquarters. This will include what options are available—whether the AFP opts for a purpose-built facility or looks at a larger existing building that can be refurbished. Whilst no decision has been made, the future of Anzac Park West will also need to be re-evaluated. Options such as tenanting out the building will be considered as part of the re-evaluation. The AFP has neither dumped nor abandoned Anzac Park West, as indicated in the Canberra Times article from which the senator no doubt takes his interest. The costs incurred with regard to Anzac Park West are $59.4 million, which comprises the following: as of 14 August 2007, administration has spent $43 million on the base building refurbishment, and $16 million has been spent on the base building works, including professional fees and the AFP’s operational administrative costs.

Having answered the question, can I say that this is a very important agency. I do not want to see it become a political football. It has had to expand under great pressure, particularly since the events of 9-11, and I wish the senator would take note of that.

Michael Forshaw (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I thank the minister for his answer, which unfortunately did not answer the thrust of the question about why huge amounts of money are being paid out on premises not utilised. I appreciate the importance of the Australian Federal Police, but in my supplementary question I ask: is the minister aware that the fiasco of the Anzac Park West building comes on top of the fiasco of the new Centrelink national office and the supposedly purpose-built AusAID facility? They were all too small when they were finished. Does the minister consider that spending million of dollars of public money on supposedly purpose-built facilities and buildings for the Australian Federal Police that turn out to be too small is an example of good economic management?

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

There is no fiasco. Good government requires that we must have a good, well-resourced law enforcement agency for the Commonwealth. We have one.

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.