COUNTER-TERRORISM WHITE PAPER
Securing Australia | Protecting Our Community
Chapter 1: Introduction
Terrorism is the use of violence by groups or individuals pursuing political objectives. Terrorists are frequently indiscriminate in their attacks and can deliberately target civilians and non-combatants, often seeking to inflict mass casualties.
The purpose of this Counter-Terrorism White Paper, Securing Australia – Protecting our Community, is to:
- explain the nature of the terrorist threat to Australia within Australia’s broader national security context;
- set out the Australian Government’s strategy for countering terrorism; and
- detail the policy settings by which the Government will implement its counter-terrorism strategy.
This White Paper reflects a number of improvements to Australia’s approach to counter-terrorism. It brings together for the first time, in a comprehensive manner, Australia’s response to terrorism both domestically and internationally.
The strategy outlined in this White Paper sets out a comprehensive response to terrorism while upholding the fundamental rights and freedoms of all Australians. Preventing terrorist acts, and dissuading those who might seek to commit them, is a complex challenge for all levels of government and the Australian community more broadly. The responses and measures outlined in this White Paper are targeted and proportionate, and take into account the evolving strategic environment and the lessons we have learnt over recent years.
Australia’s counter-terrorism policies form part of the Government’s comprehensive national security strategy. Australia faces a range of complex, dynamic and evolving security challenges. The National Security Statement of 2008 set out the Government’s vision for a coherent approach to addressing these challenges. Australia must be clear in its analysis of the threats and challenges we face, actively manage them, and seize opportunities to enhance our overall national security.
This White Paper sets out Australia’s counter-terrorism objectives and the means by which the Government will pursue them. The nature of the threat is explained in Chapter two and the Government’s counter‑terrorism strategy is detailed in Chapter three. The various elements of our strategy are detailed in Chapters four to seven.