The sacking of the director-generals of Australia’s security agencies as permanent attendees of the country’s National Security Committee (NSC) is an issue of grave concern.
Recent news of the decision—which was carried out some time ago—leads to serious questions about the Albanese Labor government’s commitment to Australia’s national security.
Instead of the heads of the premier security agencies, the government has appointed the Climate Change Department Secretary David Fredericks as a new regular attendee to the National Security Committee of Cabinet.
The NSC is the premier standing committee of the Cabinet. It is authorised to make decisions about Australia’s national defence and security without reference back to the full government Cabinet.
Hence, it is the nation’s ultimate decision-making body on security.
While various cabinet ministers join the NSC, it has been a long tradition that the heads of various agencies, including the Defence Forces and the security bodies attend its meetings.
Having been a member of the NSC, I can attest that the regular advice of the heads of the security agencies was invaluable. The idea that they are only invited to attend when thought appropriate is misguided.
What is the point of an NSC that doesn’t regularly listen to the heads of Australia’s main intelligence agencies?
Why was this decision taken? No explanation has been given.
When asked by Senator James Paterson, Foreign Minister Penny Wong claimed that “we don’t comment on the workings of the NSC” even though she was queried about its composition, not its workings.
Questions Over Motives
It has been reported that the decision was recommended by the secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Glyn Davis, the nation’s top public servant and the principal advisor to the prime minister.Professor Davis had fostered close relations with China in his previous position as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Melbourne (2005-2018). Of the university’s 52,000 students, 41 percent are from overseas, a large number from China.
As of December 2022, the 14,166 overseas students at the University of Melbourne trailed the 26,590 at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and the 22,140 at Monash University.
Prior to her appointment by Victorian Premier Dan Andrews as governor of the state, Mr. Davis’ partner, Margaret Gardner was vice chancellor of RMIT (2005-2014) and Monash University (2014-2023).
National Security Should Always Come First
There are also indications that trade and commerce has taken precedence over national security.The visit last week by Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, focused on trade issues, with the Australian government announcing that it would lift restrictions on the import of wind turbine equipment.
It also expressed hopes that CCP tariffs on Australian wine exports would be withdrawn.
While trade is important, the national government’s first priority is the country’s security.
A few weeks ago, the head of the domestic security agency ASIO, Mike Burgess warned that a former Member of Parliament had been a spy for an unnamed foreign regime. The regime is widely believed to be the Chinese Communist Party.
According to Mr. Burgess, the unnamed country had assembled a special “A-team”—an Australian team—to recruit domestic spies, including MPs.
“Several years ago, the A-team successfully cultivated and recruited a former Australian politician,” he said.
“This politician sold out their country, party and former colleagues to advance the interests of the foreign regime. At one point, the former politician even proposed bringing a Prime Minister’s family member into the spies’ orbit. Fortunately, that plot did not go ahead but other schemes did.”
The approaches were not limited to former parliamentarians.
Another Australian, an aspiring politician, provided insights into the factional dynamics of his party, analysis of a recent election and the names of up-and-comers—presumably so the A-team could target them too.
Is the government not interested in hearing this type of advice on a regular basis? Removing Mr. Burgess and the head of ASIS, Kerri Hartland as regular attendees at the NSC sends the wrong messages to other nations.
The record of the CCP interfering in Australian affairs is beyond dispute. This is not the time to be complacent about our national security.
