Australia needs a Minister for Intelligence

In this session we look at why Australia needs a Minister for Intelligence and the National Intelligence Community framework.

We tune in to Canberra and speak with Dr. William A. Stoltz and Prof John Blaxland from The Australian National University to discuss the report Improving National Security Governance: Options for Strengthening Cabinet Control and Parliamentary Oversight.

Parliamentary governance of national security has evolved very little despite decades of investment and new powers for Australia’s national security and intelligence agencies. In his report, Dr Stoltz said the appointment of an assistant or junior Minister for Intelligence could greatly improve the ability of Cabinet to exercise informed, strategic leadership over the growing security threats facing Australia. He also advises key reforms to the powerful Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS).

LINK TO THE REPORT
https://crawford.anu.edu.au/publicati…

Key Points Key Recommendations
• Following decades of investment, legislative reform, and structural adaptation to changing threats, Australia’s national security apparatus is now one of the most complex and sophisticated in the world.
• Yet, the Parliamentary and ministerial structures for guiding Australia’s national security institutions have evolved surprisingly little.
• The result is that Australia’s Parliament and Cabinet face a number of limitations to scrutinising and guiding our security and intelligence organisations.
• This paper proposes reforms to bolster the capacity of our leaders to hold national security institutions accountable as Australia moves into an era of heightened strategic complexity and risk.

Key Recommendations
• Following decades of investment, legislative reform, and structural adaptation to changing threats, Australia’s national security apparatus is now one of the most complex and sophisticated in the world.
• Yet, the Parliamentary and ministerial structures for guiding Australia’s national security institutions have evolved surprisingly little.
• The result is that Australia’s Parliament and Cabinet face a number of limitations to scrutinising and guiding our security and intelligence organisations.
• This paper proposes reforms to bolster the capacity of our leaders to hold national security institutions accountable as Australia moves into an era of heightened strategic complexity and risk.
• An assistant or junior Minister for Intelligence should be appointed, with responsibilities to work across national security portfolios to support senior Cabinet ministers and the Prime Minister on matters relating to national security strategy, managing investment in intelligence capability and reforms to enabling legislation.
• The Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) should be empowered to commission the Inspector-General for Intelligence and Security (IGIS) to undertake reviews and investigations and the IGIS should be resourced accordingly. This will deepen oversight of Australia’s expansive national security and intelligence ecosystem and improve Parliament’s trust and understanding of operational agencies.
• The Independent National Security Legislation Monitor (INSLM) should become a full-time appointment and be resourced to provide regular support and advice to the PJCIS.
• At least one security-cleared adviser should be allocated to the office of PJCIS members to bolster their capacity to undertake committee business.
• National Intelligence Community (NIC) agencies should provide staff on secondment to bolster the work of the PJCIS Secretariat within the Department of the House of Representatives

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