April 18, 2023
I am honoured to be appointed as Shadow Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.
There is no more sacred duty of government than to keep Australians safe and secure.
The establishment of the Department of Home Affairs was one of the many national security achievements of the Liberals and Nationals in government. It brought together the domestic national security policy expertise and operational agencies under one roof for a seamless response to the serious threats our nation faces.
Labor’s dismantling of the portfolio upon coming to government was a major mistake. We have already seen a significant blow out in the time taken to list a terrorist organisation now that it is being double handled by two ministers. Confusion over who is responsible for cyber crime, which had to be fixed by belated machinery of government changes, is another example of how vital national security issues risk falling through the cracks thanks to Labor’s illogical changes to the portfolio.
In the dangerous and uncertain strategic environment we find ourselves in we cannot afford confusion about which Minister is responsible for our domestic national security settings.
I pay tribute to Karen Andrews for her service in the portfolio in opposition and in government. Australia is safer and more secure thanks to difficult decisions she took as Minister, including the listing all of Hezbollah and Hamas as terrorist organisations for the first time, and world-leading critical infrastructure protection reforms.
