Since Anthony Albanese's reshuffle, there has been a lot of conjecture about the consequences of moving the nation's domestic spy agency, ASIO, back to the Attorney-General’s Department.
But what has attracted less commentary are the consequences of the new Home Affairs Minister, Tony Burke, retaining responsibility for counter-terrorism, counter-espionage and counter-foreign interference — despite having no operational agency in that space.
The revised Administrative Arrangements Order (AAO) doesn’t transfer responsibility for national security policy and operations to Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, leaving Burke with the ministerial responsibility.
Justin Bassi, who was former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull’s national security adviser when Home Affairs was created, tells Capital Brief the move is a “little confusing, as it seems to have left Home Affairs as a policy portfolio without any agencies other than Border Force and the National Emergency Management Agency”.
