Brett Raguse (Forde, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Attorney-General. What is the government’s counterterrorism strategy, particularly on intelligence capabilities and coordination?

Robert McClelland (Barton, Australian Labor Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the Prime Minister has indicated, today the government has released the counterterrorism white paper. It has been prepared after extensive consultation and a review of contemporary events. For instance, a review of security arrangements in respect of the attempted bombing of the Northwest Airlines flight on 25 December last year shows that quite often information revealing a potential attack is available. The more difficult but critical task is drawing that information together and using it for operational purposes.

Accordingly, an essential part of the strategy is establishing, as the Prime Minister has indicated, a counterterrorism control centre, which will be established within the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, to improve coordination across government agencies in counterterrorism intelligence, decision making and operations. This centre will bring together senior officials—experts from Australia’s key intelligence and law enforcement agencies. The centre will drive a fully integrated national approach to counterterrorism by identifying specific counterterrorism priorities and developing a stronger fusion of intelligence community and law enforcement community effort. It will collate and analyse data, both from within Australia and overseas, before that information is distributed and applied for operational purposes.

As the Prime Minister has also indicated, the white paper outlines the increased threat posed by home-grown terrorism. In that respect it is instructive that since 2001 38 people have been prosecuted as a result of counterterrorism operations and there have been 20 people convicted of terrorism offences under our criminal laws. It is of note and, while some of these cases are still before the courts, it must be stressed that 37 of those 38 were Australian citizens and, of that 37, 20 were born in Australia. The unfortunate reality therefore is that, while, yes, it is only a small minority, violent extremism is active in our community. Successful prosecutions in Melbourne and Sydney demonstrate this only too clearly.

Research shows that there is no single pathway to violent extremism. The factors seem to indicate a reaction to overseas events, grievances with local and national issues and even individual circumstances such as poor education and socioeconomic factors. Clearly, there is a lot of valuable work that is already being undertaken right across the country at a state and territory level but countering extremism is a national challenge and requires a national response that focuses upon and develops best practice under an overarching strategic direction.

As a starting point the government has identified four key areas of work—that is, identifying and disrupting violent extremists, identifying at-risk groups and individuals and supporting them to resist violent extremism, maintaining the social cohesion and resilience of communities, and using effective communications to challenge violent extremist messages and supporting alternatives. In summary, the counterterrorism white paper shows that the threat of terrorism is regrettably real. It is persistent; it is evolving, but the white paper is a further step in delivering a safer more secure Australia.