Defence

Public Service

National Security: Responding to the challenges

There can be no doubt about the increasing focus on Australia's national security agenda, and the key contributions of a range of departments and agencies. I welcome the opportunity to offer some views on the importance of a whole-of-government, and a whole-of-community, position on national security and the National Security Division's (NSD) coordination role in this regard.

In response to the need to implement a fast-moving policy agenda focused on enhanced whole-of-government coordination, NSD was established within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) in July 2003. NSD covers the full range of defence, intelligence, and international and domestic security issues. The division supports the Prime Minister in his role as chairman of the National Security Committee of Cabinet and works closely with other departments to ensure briefs and submissions coming forward for cabinet consideration provide ministers with the best possible advice upon which to make decisions.

Interaction

The Department of Defence deals mostly with the Defence and Intelligence Branch, led by former Head of the Defence Security Authority, Ms Margot McCarthy. Among the issues this branch deals with are defence operations, capability and acquisitions, nonproliferation, regional counter-terrorism, and intelligence.

The Domestic Security Branch, led by Dr Wendy Southern, provides advice on domestic security policy, including in relation to national counter-terrorism arrangements, transport security, critical infrastructure protection, border security and hazardous material issues. The branch includes the Science, Engineering and Technology Unit, whose responsibility is to harness research expertise for counter-terrorism in Australia. The unit collaborates with a range of organisations, including the Defence Science and Technology Organisation in support of counter-terrorism projects.

Challenges

The Prime Minister noted in his speech to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) on 18 June 2004, "Traditional concerns such as regional flashpoints and rogue states remain, but major power relations appear more benign... the twin dangers of terrorism and weapons proliferation have come into much sharper focus. There is also much greater attention to transnational threats that flow less from state strength than from state weakness".

Concern about the detrimental effect upon international security of state weakness was clearly a significant consideration in the deployment of the ADF to Afghanistan and the Solomon Islands. Not surprisingly, the ADF has proven well trained and equipped to conduct these operations. Terrorists and proliferators of weapons of mass destruction material and expertise present new challenges, in the elaborate and deceitful lengths to which they go to hide their activities from governments.

and responses ...

The government's specific policy responses to these challenges are too numerous to list in full but the trends are worth noting. In recent years over $4 billion has been allocated in additional funding to support agencies tasked with countering the terrorist threat. Intelligence gathering and assessment capabilities have been strengthened. Counter-terrorism assistance has been provided to countries in South-East Asia and bilateral counter-terrorism memoranda of understanding have been signed with ten of our regional neighbours. Recently, enhancements have also been made to Australia's maritime security. In a more complex national security environment, Defence capability is one of a set of instruments available to government.

Adapting the machinery of government to meet these national security challenges has required significant effort and innovation. The establishment in 1996 of a National Security Committee (NSC) of Cabinet and a Secretaries Committee on National Security (SCNS) laid the foundations for whole-of-government coordination. As cabinet minutes are binding on all Ministers as government policy and reflect collective decisions, timely and well coordinated consultation across government is important. The SCNS/NSC process has worked well, particularly at high levels, in ensuring consultation among those departments traditionally involved in national security.

Since 2001, new relationships have also had to be formed - between departments, intelligence and law enforcement agencies - to counter the terrorist threat. Federal and state/territory government relations, and those between government and business have had to focus on issues of national counter-terrorism response, critical infrastructure protection and controlling the supply of materials that could be used by terrorists.

The NSD has taken a lead role in all of these areas. Andrew Metcalfe, a Deputy Secretary in Prime Minister & Cabinet, is the chair of the Australian Government Counter-Terrorism Policy Committee and the National Counter-Terrorism Committee, which have become essential elements in Australia's inter-agency and multi-jurisdictional response to the terrorism threat. The NSD is also coordinating the development of appropriate frameworks for the regulation of hazardous materials.

The Policy Environment

The public policy environment in which we operate has become more demanding. Public interest in security issues has intensified, and justifiably so given the injection of additional resources into national security and the visible impact of security arrangements on the lives of Australians here and overseas. Australians have become more aware of travel advisories, and of the classified threat assessments the government receives from organisations such as the National Threat Assessment Centre (NTAC).

Commentators display a finer understanding of complex national security issues, such as those associated with force development and the intelligence assessments process. This has led to a greater public appreciation of the challenges faced by those in government and the defence and law enforcement services. This applies especially to ADF personnel on dangerous duty overseas, as in Iraq, and to our diplomats who face risks in representing and promoting Australian interests abroad.

Greater public understanding has also brought with it greater scrutiny and higher expectations of accountability to ensure that powers are used responsibly and additional funds spent sensibly. This inevitably extends to increased parliamentary scrutiny of officials and the ministers we support. In supporting the Prime Minister, NSD has developed solid working relations with line departments to enable us to provide comprehensive briefing, often on complex issues, to short deadlines. I note our relationship with Dr Gumley and his staff in the DMO is working very well in this respect.

The NSD has had a role in explaining the government's national security policies publicly, where there is substantial whole-of-government involvement.

In June 2004 Protecting Australia Against Terrorism was released, a document prepared in consultation with a wide range of agencies including Defence.

The NSD is assisted by the collegiate manner in which officials in other departments and agencies approach issues of common interest, through the Interdepartmental Committee system and through more informal channels. This spirit of cooperative progress cannot be emphasised enough. It is the key to our collective success.

Task Forces

In implementing such a fast moving policy agenda, the adequacy of existing arrangements and the need for further reform has been reviewed, where necessary. There is a growing use of task forces, established within PM&C and assisted by staff brought in from relevant departments. Several of these reviews, supported by NSD, have resulted in significant changes to our national security arrangements. For example, the implementation of the significant recommendations of the Flood Inquiry will strengthen Australia's intelligence capabilities; while the Task Force on Offshore Maritime Security, led to the creation of a Joint Offshore Protection Command, which will improve the ADF's capability for off-shore counter-terrorism prevention and response.

Implications for Defence

Defence, like many other departments and agencies, has had to adapt to these changes. It is inevitable, for instance, that Defence will need to continue to consult closely with other government departments on matters of a primarily defence policy and operations nature. While military operations are clearly the core business of the ADF, specialist advice and assistance will often be required from a range of other government departments.

As a consequence of increased resources for Defence, the Department of Finance and Administration and the Treasury have an expanded capacity to provide advice to their ministers, who in Cabinet will share responsibility for decisions on Defence matters. Early consultation between Defence and other departments on submissions coming forward to NSC is therefore important. Departments do not have to agree on a single position to present to government, but they should work together to ensure that proposals examine all relevant aspects of the issue under consideration.

National Security Division

I hope this article provides some idea of NSD's role and where it fits into the wider national security community, and a PM&C perspective on whole-of-government coordination. We have a relatively small staff for the job, with just 43 officers. We also try to practice what we preach - 11 of these are seconded from other departments, including Defence. Our small size means that our interaction with Defence has to be effective and based on a solid foundation of good relationships, trust and mutual understanding. The NSD is a potentially useful source of advice for Defence on policy proposals and submissions which will require Cabinet or NSC agreement.

In providing a more secure Australia we must work together within and between departments and agencies, between federal and state and territory governments, between government and industry and between government and the community.

Duncan Lewis served for more than 30 years as an officer in the Australian Army. He retired as the Major General in command of Australian Special Forces and commenced his position as First Assistant Secretary, National Security Division in November 2004.

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