The Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, has discussed three serious problems with the Federal Government’s security policy.

“The Federal Government says there is an increased risk of terrorism in Australia but is quietly withdrawing the Australian Federal Police from Hobart Airport,” Mr Wilkie said.

“Not being an international gateway, Hobart will not get any of the new anti-terror measures being trumpeted by the Government currently. But history shows that competent terrorists will use innovative methods and strike soft targets, and the fact that Hobart is not a genuine international gateway would be irrelevant to a home-grown terrorist.

“I’ve written to the Prime Minister and urged him to urgently intervene in this matter. A copy of my letter to the PM is attached.

“More broadly the Government is ignoring the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security’s advice regarding reform of Australia’s national security legislation.

“When the Committee examined potential security legislation reform last year it urged the Government not to proceed with reform unless such reform is detailed, released for public consultation, the views obtained of key stakeholders and draft legislation subject to parliamentary committee scrutiny. That advice is being ignored.

“And the Government is continuing to refuse to allow the Parliament to debate the potential re-commitment of Australian combat forces to Iraq.

“This is plain wrong because the decision to wage war is the most serious decision a country can make. It must not be made by a few people behind a closed door because that’s just the sort of mangled process which helped to start this Iraq War 11 years ago and got us into the mess in the first place.

“The bottom line is that the Government is playing it tough on national security but getting it dreadfully wrong. If it’s meant to distract us from the Budget then the Government runs the real risk of having two stuff-ups on its hand instead of one.”

Download Wilkie’s letter to the PM:
Wilkie_Letter_to_PM_-_27_August_2014.pdf
Andrew Wilkie MP, Independent Member for Denison