Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

ANDREWS () (): I move:

That this House:

(1) recognises that since it was established by the previous Government in 2017 the Department of Home Affairs, as it was structured, has been important in keeping Australians safe and secure;

(2) acknowledges the vital work of the law enforcement and national security agencies that have worked very closely together under the Home Affairs portfolio;

(3) notes that the Department of Home Affairs was fundamentally changed by the current Government, as announced on 1 June 2022; and

(4) calls on the Government to ensure that these fundamental changes to the department will not reduce the operating budgets of our national security and law enforcement agencies.

Nothing is more important or fundamental than the security of the Australian people, and the first and foremost job of government is to keep Australians safe. That was certainly my approach as the Minister for Home Affairs in the previous coalition government. Having served in that role, I have seen firsthand how the department and our national security and law enforcement agencies, that have traditionally worked together since the portfolio was formed, dedicate themselves to that task.

I believe one of the great strengths of the portfolio as it was previously structured was that it brought together our agencies in a powerful and a proactive manner. National security and law enforcement are of course intertwined. They always have been, but they are especially so with the rise of transnational serious organised criminal gangs that not only run criminal operations, trafficking drugs and firearms, but are often mercenaries for sale, engaged in espionage, terrorism and cyberwarfare.

The threats to our nation are more sophisticated and complex than ever before, which is why I was alarmed that one of the first acts of this government was to dismantle the Home Affairs portfolio, to put a raft of agencies, including the Australian Federal Police, AUSTRAC and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, under the Attorney-General's portfolio, effectively siloing them from ASIO, Australian Border Force and the department, which runs a range of policies including cybersecurity.

I am yet to see any justification for why they chose to gut the Home Affairs portfolio and perhaps during this debate Labor MPs will be able to enlighten us on that. I can't see how this improves the working relationships between our national security and law enforcement agencies and I can't see how this makes Australians safer. Perhaps there was no-one within the government that the Prime Minister felt had the depth of experience to manage the full portfolio. Maybe it was the outcome of factional negotiations. Whatever the reason or the reasons for that change they have never ever been articulated. But one thing I do know is that you shouldn't change such a critical portfolio on the basis of who gets a bigger share of the spoils of government. That's no way to run national security policy.

I am deeply concerned, and we're seeing signs in a range of different policy areas, that the incoming government is driven by ego and ideology. Ideologically national security seems to be fairly low down the list of priorities for Labor. The national security policy that they took to the last election could fit on an A4 sheet of paper—leaving plenty of white space. Perhaps they don't have a national security agenda to speak of. Perhaps national security under the Labor government will be reactive rather than proactive.

We do know that the last time they came into office they gutted the then immigration and customs portfolio to pay for their social spending promises. Perhaps that's their plan going forward. But I, along with others on this side of the chamber, will be watching closely how they allocate funds in the October budget. As we face increasing global uncertainty, we cannot afford to let our law enforcement and national security agencies wither.

I am very proud of the fact that the coalition provided record funding, including an extra $1.3 billion for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and boosting the Australian Federal Police's annual budget to more than $1.7 billion. I encourage any of the hardworking individuals within the Home Affairs portfolio, as it was, to contact my office if they find there are issues as a result of this move by the government. I will respect their confidentiality. We can't afford to be complacent in any way when it comes to the safety of our nation. I call on members of this place who share the very sensible view that the safety and security of Australians should be the priority of any government to support this motion.

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