Output 3.2-National Security Policy

Page Index

• Qualitative assessment
• Key results
• Administered item

Qualitative assessment

In February 2004, the output and performance indicators in relation to Output 3.2 were consolidated, under the Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements, into the single output stated above.

Methodology

During 2003–04, the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister's Office, the Secretary and the departmental Executive provided regular feedback on the work of the National Security Division. This feedback was provided through regular meetings, discussions and comment on divisional advice. Formal individual performance reviews conducted under the department's performance appraisal framework provided further feedback.

In addition, the division's Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) Unit was supervised by a steering committee-chaired by the department and comprising senior officials from the Attorney-General's Department and from the parent agencies of staff seconded to the unit-that discussed the unit's performance at the four meetings it held during the year.

Feedback

The Prime Minister, the Prime Minister's Office, the Secretary and the departmental Executive provided positive feedback on the division's work, including on the quality and timeliness of briefings and advice, across all the division's areas of responsibility. At each of its four meetings, the SET Unit Steering Committee indicated its satisfaction with the unit's early progress.

Output 3.2 was assessed as having provided effective and timely advice, briefing and support on defence, intelligence, border protection, counter-terrorism and related law enforcement and domestic security issues.

Key results

Following its establishment on 1 July 2003, the National Security Division completed its first full year of operation in 2003–04. The year saw significant expansion of the division's responsibilities and staffing, including the establishment of the SET Unit-to coordinate and focus scientific support for counter-terrorism, in accordance with the recommendations of the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council-in August 2003.

Through advice provided to the Prime Minister, and support for whole-of-government and cross-portfolio endeavours, the National Security Division contributed to a range of key government initiatives and achievements, as outlined below.

Defence policy and operations

In the period from July 2003 to June 2004, Australian Defence Force (ADF) operations continued at a high tempo in Iraq and East Timor, while the ADF also commenced Operation Anode in the Solomon Islands. The division worked closely with the Department of Defence (Defence) to provide policy advice and updates to the Prime Minister on those operations.

Working with the departments of Defence, the Treasury, and Finance and Administration, the division helped to coordinate the government's consideration of emerging operational cost pressures in the Defence budget, which ultimately resulted in supplementation for the Defence portfolio in the 2004–05 Budget. The division provided advice to the Prime Minister on, and contributed to the whole‑of-government coordination of, a range of Defence portfolio issues, including:

• defence strategic policy, preparedness and reform
• defence personnel issues
• military cooperation with the United States
• defence housing
• defence property sales.

In addition, the division prepared advice to the Prime Minister on a range of veterans' affairs and commemoration issues.

Defence capability and acquisitions

As part of the government's regular review of changes in Australia's strategic environment, the division worked closely with representatives from the departments of Defence, Foreign Affairs and Trade, Finance and Administration, and the Treasury, to finalise the Defence Capability Review 2003 and associated refinements to the Defence Capability Plan 2004–2014.

The division also worked closely with those departments in providing advice to the Prime Minister on other Defence capability and policy matters, including:

• the maintenance of the Collins Class submarines
• additional airborne early warning and control aircraft
• a new air-to-air refuelling capability for the Royal Australian Air Force
• the replacement of the Leopard tank as the main battle tank for the Australian Army
• the design stages of the air warfare destroyer, and amphibious deployment and sustainment capability projects
• additional funding for Defence personnel, logistics and estate initiatives.

The division also worked closely with Defence on the implementation of reforms-to both the Defence Materiel Organisation and associated Defence acquisition processes for major capital equipment-arising from the Defence Procurement Review 2003.

Intelligence

During a year in which the performance of Australia's intelligence agencies and the relationship between intelligence assessment and policy development attracted heightened scrutiny, the division advised the Prime Minister on, and coordinated the government's response to, a range of sensitive issues relating to the agencies' roles, performance and budgets.

Pursuant to the recommendation of the December 2003 report of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on ASIO, ASIS and DSD on intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, the government appointed Mr Philip Flood AO to conduct the Inquiry into Australian Intelligence Agencies. The division provided advice and support to the government concerning the establishment of the inquiry, including by assigning a staff member to the inquiry team. The division also prepared the department's submission to the inquiry.

In addition, the division managed the processes for new appointments to the positions of Director-General of the Office of National Assessments and Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security.

Non-proliferation

During the year there were important developments in global efforts to counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), such as Libya's decision to end its WMD programmes and cooperate with weapons inspectors.

The division provided advice to the Prime Minister and wider government on a range of WMD non‑proliferation issues, including:

• Australia's active role in the development of the Proliferation Security Initiative
• International Atomic Energy Agency scrutiny of Iran's past nuclear activities
• the adoption and implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 1540 (2004), which seeks to prevent the proliferation of WMD.

The division was also closely involved in providing policy advice to the Prime Minister concerning WMD investigations conducted by the Iraq Survey Group.

Following the government's December 2003 announcement that Australia would participate further in the United States missile defence programme, the division provided the Prime Minister with advice on the development of a United States–Australia framework memorandum of understanding on missile defence cooperation.

Counter-terrorism and related domestic security initiatives

The 2003–04 year was one of considerable activity on the domestic security front. The division's key domestic achievements included:

• producing the publication Protecting Australia Against Terrorism, which was launched by the Prime Minister on 23 June 2004. This document explains the Australian Government's strategy for confronting the threat of terrorism in the new security environment, and the steps the government has taken to protect Australians and Australia's interests both at home and abroad.
• coordinating the development of the Investing in Australia's Security package of national security budget measures for the 2004–05 Budget
• providing support to a review, undertaken by the department's Cabinet Implementation Unit, of all domestic security budget measures introduced since 11 September 2001
• coordinating the participation of the Governor-General, the Prime Minister and the department in ‘Mercury '04', the largest counter-terrorism exercise ever held in Australia
• leading the Council of Australian Governments review of the regulatory, reporting and security arrangements for the storage, sale and handling of hazardous materials in Australia. Ammonium nitrate was given priority within the review, resulting in an agreement by the Prime Minister, premiers and chief ministers on 25 June 2004 to a nationwide licensing system to regulate access to ammonium nitrate.
• developing the $93 million Enhanced Aviation Security Package, announced in December 2003, in cooperation with the Department of Transport and Regional Services and other relevant agencies, and working to implement the recommendations of the assessment of Australia's aviation security policy settings
• playing a lead role in the ongoing assessment of Australia's maritime security policy settings
• assisting the Attorney-General's Department in coordinating a ministerial forum on national security, at which senior government members met with the heads of Australia's largest companies to discuss the role of business and industry in relation to national security, with a particular focus on critical infrastructure protection
• reviewing arrangements to ensure the continuity of the Australian Government in the event of a national security emergency. These preparations complement Australia's robust crisis and consequence management arrangements by ensuring that government departments and agencies remain able to perform their key functions with minimal disruption throughout an emergency.
• providing advice to the Prime Minister in relation to the development of the Critical Infrastructure Protection National Strategy and the draftnational guidelines for the protection of critical infrastructure from terrorism,which were agreed to in principle by the Prime Minister, premiers and chief ministers on 25 June 2004
• providing policy advice to the Prime Minister on agreements between the Australian Government and the governments of Singapore and the United States on the deployment of ‘air security officers' on flights to and from Australia, which were concluded during the year
• working with the Attorney-General's Department to finalise the Intergovernmental Agreement on Counter-Terrorism Laws, which was signed by the Prime Minister, premiers and chief ministers on 25 June 2004. This represents the final step in the implementation of the April 2002 Leaders' Summit agreement on constitutional references to support terrorism offences of national application.
• providing advice to the Prime Minister during consultation with states and territories on a number of significant amendments to federal terrorism offences.

The year also saw a significant further strengthening of Australia's counter-terrorism links with our regional partners. In July 2003, the Prime Minister announced a package of counter-terrorism assistance for the Philippines, complementing that provided to Indonesia in the wake of the Bali bombings. In the following month, the Prime Minister initiated a review of Australia's regional counter-terrorism strategy, which was conducted by the division and relevant agencies. A number of measures were identified to further enhance Australia's regional counter-terrorism cooperation, for which additional funding of $87 million was allocated in the 2004–05 Budget.

In February 2004 the Minister for Foreign Affairs, with his Indonesian counterpart, jointly chaired the Bali Regional Ministerial Meeting on Counter-Terrorism. The divisionworked with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide whole-of-government coordination and policy advice in relation to these initiatives, and to a range of resulting counter-terrorism measures contained in the 2004–05 Budget. The division also contributed to the preparation of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's white paper on terrorism.

Science, engineering and technology support for counter-terrorism

The Prime Minister announced the establishment of the SET Unit on 27 June 2003. Staff have been seconded to the unit from the Defence Science and Technology Organisation; the Department of Education, Science and Training; the CSIRO; the Australian Federal Police; and the intelligence community.

The SET Unit has developed strong linkages with the scientific community, to focus science, engineering and technology efforts in support of Australia's counter-terrorism needs. The unit surveyed a broad range of security, intelligence, law enforcement and emergency management agencies to determine their counter-terrorism research and development needs, sorting those needs into nine priority areas of interest for further development.

The unit liaised regularly with business and industry stakeholders and, through its website, registered over 30 capabilities and/or technologies which may have an application in counter-terrorism. The unit also pursued opportunities for international collaboration in counter-terrorism research, and began negotiating a bilateral agreement on cooperation in this area with the United States Technical Support Working Group.

To help guide the SET Unit's development of an active research and development programme in support of Australia's counter-terrorism needs, the government provided funding in the 2004–05 Budget of $7.2 million to the unit over the next four financial years.

Border protection

Throughout the year the division continued to provide timely advice to the Prime Minister in relation to unauthorised boat arrivals to Australia, offshore migration matters and Australia's border security. In addition, the division played an active role in the interdepartmental People Smuggling Task Force chaired by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs.

Administered Item-National Counter-Terrorism Committee

The National Counter-Terrorism Committee (NCTC) is a high-level national body, chaired by a deputy secretary of the department, comprising senior officials from relevant Australian Government agencies and agencies of the states and territories. The committee's primary role is to coordinate a nationwide cooperative framework for efforts to counter terrorism and its consequences. As chair of the NCTC, the department provided national leadership on counter-terrorism and related security issues throughout the year, carrying forward an active agenda of collaborative work with the states and territories.

In the second half of 2003, responsibility for providing secretariat services and support to the NCTC was transferred to the department from the Attorney-General's Department. The department received an administered allocation of $62,000 for the year to fund this activity, which is performed by the National Security Division.

During the year the division supported NCTC meetings held in December 2003, March 2004 and May 2004, as well as meetings of the NCTC Executive Committee held in July and September 2003 and February and April 2004. Details of all NCTC meetings as well as the September 2003 NCTC Executive Committee meeting were published in communiqués on the national security website (www.nationalsecurity.gov.au). The division also contributed to key NCTC‑related initiatives such as the development of the National Counter-Terrorism Handbook.