July 28, 2024
The federal government has been slammed over its handling of the Home Affairs portfolio on the same day the the Prime Minister demoted the Home Affairs Minister and gave oversight of ASIO to the Attorney General.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese removed both Clare O'Neil and Andrew Giles from their positions in major cabinet reshuffle on Sunday.
Both ministers roles were given to western Sydney MP Tony Burke, who will take on the titles of Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, and Minister for Cyber Security, whilebretaining his roles of Minister for the Arts and Leader of the House.
Ms O'Neil has been moved to the position of Minister for Housing and Minister for Homelessness, while Andrew Giles will take on the role of Minister for Skills and Training.
The Prime Minister also announced that ASIO would be taken out of the Home Affairs portfolio and moved to the Attorney General's Department.
The move is a further weakening of the super portfolio - which was created by then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull - after the government gave the Attorney General authority over the Australian Federal Police after the last election.
Earlier on Sunday shadow home affairs minister James Paterson responded to rumours the government would carve up Home Affairs by slamming the Albanese government's handling of the portfolio.
Speaking to Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell on Sunday Agenda, Mr Paterson said the Albanese government had done "enough damage" to the home affairs portfolio and Australia's national security after Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles refused to rule out the disbandment of the department.
"I hope they don't do any further damage. They dismantled the portfolio when they came to office by taking key agencies, like the Federal Police and the Intelligence Commission, out of the portfolio and sent it to the attorney general's portfolio," Mr Paterson said.
"It's caused chaos and confusion in national security policy ever since as Clare O'Neil and Mark Dreyfus engage in serious fights.
Senator Paterson said he would seek to restore the portfolio, arguing it was imperative national security agencies work together "in a seamless way".
"No matter what the government does, we will continue to have a home affairs portfolio as it was when we were in government and it's my intention to seek the restoration of that portfolio to its former glory," Senator Paterson said.
Senator Paterson said the sacking of former home affairs secretary Mark Pezzullo "certainly didn't fill me with any confidence", before adding "Nor has the performance of either of the ministers in that portfolio, Clare O'Neil or Andrew Giles."
"The starting point would be to sack both of them and get new people in those portfolios," the shadow minister said.
"Unless the portfolio is restored, unless those agencies come together again, we're going to continue to see things falling through the cracks.
"We're going to continue to see fights between the attorney general and home affairs minister, whoever they may be, over things like terrorism listings which has led to a massive blowout in the time taken to list terrorist organisations and it puts the Australian community in jeopardy."
Senator Paterson was asked who he thought should assume the home affairs portfolio, with one rumoured candidate being Agriculture Minister Murray Watt.
"As bad as Clare O'Neil has been in the portfolio, I fear that Murray Watt would be even worse," he said.
The Liberal senator said the appointment of Mr Watt to take over the portfolio would be a "vote of no confidence" in Operation Sovereign Borders and a "signal to people smugglers to test the resolve of the Australian government".
In the last two years since Labor assumed power, 383 unauthorised arrivals have attempted to reach Australia on 19 boats, with at least three boats reaching “all the way” to the Australian territory or mainland to “drop people off” and return again.
“That is unheard of over the last few decades of Australian border protection policy,” Mr Paterson said.
It was put to Mr Paterson the government was turning the boats around or sending them to Nauru, thus exercising “some sort of deterrent”.
“I don’t think it’s a mission success when boats make it to the Australian mainland, I think that’s a failure of Operation Sovereign Borders and no wonder when this government has consistently failed to deliver aerial surveillance or maritime patrol days,” Mr Paterson said.
According to Senator Paterson, aerial surveillance had slipped 20 per cent while maritime patrol days are down 12 per cent.
“No wonder boats are getting through,” he said.
“That is something Clare O’Neil and Andrew Giles and, frankly, the prime minister have to own, and it’s not going to get any better with Murray Watts in the portfolio.”
Asked what he would think if Tony Burke was appointed to the portfolio, Senator Paterson said he “really hoped” it wouldn't happen. as Mr Burke was a “failed immigration minister from the Rudd-Gillard era”.
Clennell pressed Senator Paterson on the fact Mr Burke reintroduced the Pacific Solution which sought to transport asylum seekers to detention centres on island nations in the Pacific, rather than allowing them to settle in Australia, which would be “in line with Coalition policy”.
“If the Labor Party wants to make the case that these guys (Chris Bowen and Tony Burke) were a great success in border protection policy in the Rudd-Gillard era, knock yourselves out,” the shadow minsiter responded.
“I’m very happy to have that debate every day between now and the election.
“Australians know what an absolute wreckage it was under that government, and they’re heading down that path again.”
