BMD\ R(' AGAINST DELIVERY
PI W1 E a-VJ N3ST 1
FOR PRESS 23 FIS" BURARY 1978
STATEMENT ON PROTECTIVE SECURITY AND COUNTER-TE RRORI SM
Mr Speaker, all Members of Parliament will be aware of thc tragic
event which occurred on the morning of February the 13th outside
the Sydney Hilton Hotel, where twelve Heads of Government
assembled for the Commonw-ealth Regional Meeting.
It was an event which brought home to every Australian
that acts of terrorism can occur in this normally peaceable country.
The senseless murder of three innocent Australians the third,
a police constable died in hospital yesterday demonstrated
the indiscriminate nature of terrorist violence.
Terrorist acts are a violent assault upon the freedom of each
and every Australian. The Australian people have a right to be
protected a ' gainst the actions of terrorists. Terrorism will
not be tolerated in this country. That is the Government's
position, and I am sure that it is the position of every Member
of this Hlouse.
For some time, the Government has been concerned at the growing
international trend to violence for political ends. In the past
five years, according to evidence recently given to a
U. S. Senate Committee there have been 1,800 major acts of terrorism
around the world involving S12 deaths,' 551 injuries and
363 kidnappings. Following on the events of last week, I now
report to the Parliament and through the Parliament to the
people of Australia on the actions the Government has taken
and will take to guard against this evil.
On coming to office we were advised that changing world circumstances
made it necessary to review the arrangements then existing to
protect overseas visitors, members of the Diplomatic Corps and
the Australian public against acts of violence.
We have acted over the past two years to increase the effectiveness
of these arrangements.
1. In 1976, the Government acted to improve the effectiveness
of liaison and coordination between the various Commonwealth and State
agencies and police. authorities. To this end, the
Protective Services Coordination Centre was e stablished in the
Department of Administrative Services. Its role is to plan,
coordinate and initiate protective security arrangements for
. people holding high office visiting or present in Australia, and
to coordinate counter-terroist measures. / 2
The Protective Servies Coordination Ccntrc is advised by a W
special interdepartmental Committee on protection against
violence. It maintains close liaison w\ ith appropriate
Commonealth and State authorities and agencies.
Contingency plans have becn developed over a number of years to
deal with any international terrorist incident which might
occur cither in Australia,, or in another country affecting
Australian lives and interests. These plans are being
regularly updated. Simulated anti-terrorist exercises have
been held wvith the Statcs to test the effectiveness of existing
arrangements, and adjustments have been made in the light of
lessons learnt from these exercises.
2. The Government has increased the protection afforded to
diplomatic representatives in Australia, particularly in the
light of the incidents in recent times involving members of the
Indian High Commission.
3. The Government has considered and accepted the basic
conclusions of the Report by Mr Justice Hope on Intelligence and
Security, and is acting to ensure his conclusions are put into
effect. Following the tragedy in Sydney on February 13th, the Commonwealth
Heads of Government agreed to establish a working group, to
be convened by Singapore, to explore ways in which collaboration
can be enlarged, both regionally and internationally, in combating,
terror is m.
In addition, my Government has undertaken a further review of
the totality of security arrangements against acts of terrorism.
None of the old assumptions can be uncritically taken for
granted. Each must be challenged and re-evaluated.
The Sydney tragedy underlines the importance of even more intensive
deve. lopment of cooperation between Commonwealth and State civil
and police authorities. Immediately after the tragedy occurred,
the Premier of New South Wales and I agreed that a complete
review of security arrangements for the Commonwealth Heads of
Government Regional ' Meeting was required, and security was
further tightened. Given-the additional strain on New South Wales
Police, the Premier and I agreed that members of the Australian
Defence Force would be used to supplement police resources, and
the extent of the use of service personnel was determined in close
consultation between the Commonwealth and the New South Wales
authorities. I would like to pay a tribute to the cooperation which the Commonwealhas
had from the New South Wales Government. The New South Wales
Premier, Mr Wran, put the security and safety of the people of
New% South W1ales and of visiting delegations as his first
priority after the bomib explosion in Sydney.. He joined with
me in a cooperative effort. / 3
I would like to repeat and endorse the comments he made to the
New South Wales Parliament, the day after the explosion:
" It is now the task of the Government, the Parli ament, and
the community to do everything possible to ensure that
yesterday's scar does not permanently damage the
fabric of our society.
" This will need vigilance, cooperation, unity, goodwill, and
above all, a realisation that our young but great country
is now part of a world in which international and internal
violence and terrorism has become almost commonplace."
It is in recognition of these facts that we must build further
on the past pattern of Commonwealth and State cooperation.
As a result of the review which the Government has undertakenp.
it has been decided that further steps must be taken to
fulfill its responsibility to safeguard our society while
protecting the individual rights and liberties of all Australians.
The steps the Government proposes fall into two categories.
Immediate action will be taken in those areas where the experience
of the last few weeks has made apparent the need for improvement.
Additional measures which, by their nature, require further
detailed examination will be taken on the advice of a review
which the Government is establishing.
Clearly the cooperation of the States is indispensable and I shall
be writing to the State Premiers on these issues.
The immediate measures which we propose are these:
1. We shall be proposing to the States the establishment of
a Standing Advisory Committee on Commonwealth State Cooperation
for Protection against Violence. The Committee, which I expect
to be comprised of the most senior civilian and police officials,
will be charged with the task of achieving the highest degree of
efficient operation and cooperation on a nation-wide basis.
2. While selected Commonwealth and State Police are currently
trained in counter-terrorist techniques, the Government believes
that training in counter-terrorist strategy and tactics should
be greatly intensified. To achieve this, experienced instructors
will be obtained to provide appropriate training courses for
police and relevant civil authorites. They will be drawn
from the United Kingdom, and other nations with first-hand
counter-terrorist experience. I believe this training is necessary
for our police forces, and that such a programme would also
assist the States.
In addition, funds dill be made available to enable more State,
Territorial and Commonwaltfi police to be sent overseas to gain
experience in the most modern methods of preventing and dealing
with all forms of terrorism. / 4
3. 1 am also proposing to the Preieirs a total reviewj of the
adequacy and mutual compatibility of police equipment.
The review should examine police communications systems and
determine the need for a common and secure nation-wide police
communication network,. Th e Commonwealth will discuss with
the States the provision of financial assistance to ensure
that essential equipment is made available.
All H-onourable Members will agree with me that the protection of
our society and all the people who live and work in it
is of the utmost importance. I am convinced all Premiers
share this view. The prospects of effective cooperation are real.
I also inform the I-louse that Sir Robert Mark, who has recently
retired as Commissiorner of London M'vetropolitan Police
( New Scotland Yard) has, at the Government's request, made himself
immediate available to advise on the organisation of police
resources in the Commonwealth area and measures for protective
security and counter-terrorism.
In addition to these immediate measures, the Government believes
it of the utmost importance that a review be undertaken of the whole
area of protective security in Australia by a person who has
an appreciation of intelligence and security operations, and a
concern for the liberties of individual men and womien of Australia.
I am happy to be able to advise the H-ouse that the Premier of
New South Wales has agreed to mnake MI-r Justice Hope available
to carry out this review, and I thank him for his, prompt
cooperation. I have received from the Leader of the Opposition a thoughtful
and constructive letter which manifests a clear concern both for
security and civil liberties. The Government, however, concluded
that a review conducted by Mr Justice Hope would be the most
effective and appropriate way to proceed, and that the terms of
the review embrace the very proper concerns of the Leader of
the Opposition.
Mr Justice I-lope will be empowered to undertaken a fully comnprehensive,
review. The matters he will consider will include:
a) Relationships between State, Territorial and Commonwealth
Police, and between law enforcement agyencies, intelligence
and other relevant civilian authorities.
This would include the particular case of relationships
between ASIO and the Special Branches of State police forces
on which I have already been in communication with the
Premiers.
b) Arrangements to achieve coordination of assessments of
security risks and the communication of these assessments
to relevant agencies, and authorities._ .1/
c) Clarification aLnd provision of guidelines on the
division of responsibilities between police forces, and
between themuiand other agencies.
d) Advice On further Measures for coordination.
For instance, whether it is desirable or possible in liw,,
to provide for a single police commander in given situations.
For example, if an incident occurs in New South Wales, should
a senior New Southi Wales officer be in charge, not only of
11' bw South 1Wales police but also of available Commonwealth
forces and ins trumentali ties.
e) The possibility of establishing in each State a standing
combined operational and intelligence advisory body to
underpin and facilitate the work of State and Commonwealth
agencies, particularly to assist coordination by
commanders where more -than one police force is involved..
f) The relationship between the Defence Force and civilian
authorities in the matter of civilian security.
g) Security and protective arrangements in force in all
Commonwealth Departments and authorities, and the capacity of
Departments and authorities to provide support to the general
protective security effort in various situations.
h) Examining the need for Commonwealth and* Sta te promulgation of
guidelines, p) ublic announcements, the passage of legislation
or other measures which may be necessary to secure a
coordinated and effective basis for protection against
violence.
i) The overall bala1acing of the interests of security and the
rights of private citizens.
j) Recommending the invitation of such overseas experts to
advise and report on the foregoing matters as he may judge
desirable.
These are the broad areas which Mr Justice Hope will examine.
The Commonwalth will be discussing them with the States and stands
-ready to amend them if necessary in the light of such discussions.
The introduction of an)' legislation as a result of Mr Justice Hope's
review will, of course, present the opportunity for Parliamentary
examination of the-relevant issues.
I should also add that ' Ministers and their Departments have been
asked to ensure that their protective security arrangements
are fully adequate. The review to be undertaken by ' Mr Justice Hope
does not detract in'any way from this responsibility.
Mr Speaker, I believe this Parliament and the Parliaments of -the
States recogonise their overriding obligation to take all
necessary steps to protect Australians from acts of terrdrism,
while protecting individual personal liberties. / 6
AI
recall in this context the statement in the Rockefeller Repos
on the CIA quoted by ' Mr Justice Hope in his fourth report on
intelligence and security:
the final analysis public safety and individual
liberty sustain one another."
The measures which have been announced today strike the balance
between the need to respond decisively to the threat of terrorism
and the imperative of preserving Australia's character as
an open society and the democratic freedoms we all hold
paramount. Terrorism is a crime against every Australian. It will not be
tolerated, either by the people of Australia or by their
Parliamentary representatives.