I have today convened an urgent meeting of officials from Federal, State and Territory agencies to discuss Australia’s approach to countering violent extremism.
Countering violent extremism is a shared effort between the Commonwealth and states and territories.
Preventing someone from becoming radicalised in the first place is the most effective defence against terrorism.
It is important that as a community we are alert to young people who may be heading down the dark path of radicalisation and take action as early as we can.
Friday’s attack in Parramatta was a shocking reminder of the consequences of radicalisation.
I have therefore asked the Counter-Terrorism Coordinator to lead discussions to ensure that Australia has the most effective countering violent extremism measures in place – to make sure that we are doing all that we can to keep Australians safe.
The recommendations and proposals developed at this meeting will be considered at the next session of the Council of Australian Governments.
Countering violent extremism is complex; there is no single answer.
While Australia is a world leader in countering violent extremism, we must continue thinking about innovative and creative solutions to this problem. We must continue exploring the causes of radicalisation to help us devise new approaches and strengthen existing ones.
The Australian Government has invested $40 million to turn at-risk individuals away from violent extremist ideologies.
This meeting will take place in Canberra on Thursday, 15 October 2015.