Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is also to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister update the House on measures the government takes to keep Australia safe and our transport system secure?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question and acknowledge the honourable member's long experience and service in our police forces. Members will be aware that a man attempted to gain access to the cockpit of Malaysian Airlines MH128 shortly after take-off last night. The passengers on the flight bravely put themselves in harm's way to restrain the man, and the incident is now resolved, with all on board safe. The Australian Federal Police is working with Victoria Police to determine the exact circumstances of the incident. I can confirm that the matter is not currently being treated as terrorism related, and I am informed that the man has a criminal history and has previously been treated for mental health issues.

The government, as it should, takes aviation security very seriously indeed, and we have a comprehensive and strong transport security system in place. It is constantly being reviewed to ensure that it remains effective and proportionate to the risk environment. We do everything we can to ensure that Australians fly safely and securely. Our transport security system, designed to keep Australians safe and prevent acts of unlawful interference, includes the screening of passengers and baggage, hardened cockpit doors and the training of cabin crew so that they can handle suspicious passenger behaviour and respond to threats to security. It involves having plain-clothes in-flight security officers and ensuring that unauthorised items are not placed on board aircraft. In April the government implemented new security arrangements for inbound flights from Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha. Passengers are now randomly selected for explosive trace detection tests prior to boarding the aircraft.

The No. 1 priority for my government and every government must be to keep Australians safe and protect our way of life. That is why we are investing an additional $321 million to ensure that the AFP has the specialist capabilities it needs to address the criminal and terrorist threats in the future. It is the largest single funding boost to the AFP's domestic policing capabilities in over a decade. We recognise that law enforcement must be equipped with the resources to respond to new and emerging criminal threats. So far this year we have seen the AFP and its partners intercept record shipments of cocaine—1.4 tonnes—and methamphetamine—903 kilograms. These have been intercepted because of the resources, the training and the professionalism of these agencies. Our police and security agencies, as honourable members know, have thwarted 12 major Australian based terror plots since September 2014. They are on the front line. We are supporting them, and they are keeping us safe.