COUNTER-TERRORISM WHITE PAPER
Securing Australia | Protecting Our Community
Prime Minister’s Foreword
The Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd
Terrorism continues to pose a serious security challenge to Australia. The Australian Government remains resolute in its commitment to protect Australia, its people and interests from this threat.
The Government is committed to concrete action to combat terrorism. We will continue to ensure that agencies are appropriately resourced, that responses are agile and can meet changing threats, and that all necessary and practical action is taken to protect Australia and Australians.
The policy outlined in this White Paper delivers an effective and balanced approach that further strengthens our domestic counter-terrorism efforts and makes a strong contribution to international counter-terrorism efforts.
The Government has made a number of important changes to the way Australia responds to terrorism. This White Paper sets out our strengthened approach to aviation security, and improves the coordination of our counter-terrorism efforts. It also sets out for the first time a strategy to counter violent extremism in Australia.
The Government has taken and will continue to take all necessary measures to combat terrorism and those who plan or perpetrate such acts. This White Paper reiterates the Government’s commitment to provide the necessary resources to Australia’s law enforcement, intelligence, security and border protection agencies to enable them to operate effectively. At the same time, we have also taken steps to ensure that Australia’s response to terrorism does not inadvertently undermine the principles that we seek to uphold.
No government can guarantee that Australians will be free from the threat of terrorist attack.
But this Government can guarantee that we will take all necessary and practical measures to combat the threat.
This White Paper forms part of the Government’s national security reform agenda. It is a further step in delivering a safer, more secure Australia.
The Hon Kevin Rudd MP
Prime Minister of Australia