PM Transcripts

The Coalition will further its commitment to protecting the Australian community from crime and safeguarding our borders by calling a national leaders summit to develop a new national framework for dealing with transnational crime and terrorism and by providing an additional $134.7 million over four years to fund comprehensive national law enforcement initiatives.

A re-elected Coalition Government will convene a special Leaders’ Summit on Transnational Crime and Terrorism to develop a new framework under which transnational crime and terrorism can be dealt with by law enforcement agencies at a national level.

One difficulty the Commonwealth has in effectively fighting transnational crime and terrorism is that these crimes may not be strictly federal offences. The present scope for AFP officers to investigate State offences is limited and the only way that the Commonwealth can intervene is through referral of an investigation to the National Crime Authority. However, this referral process is a complex co-operative scheme which can be very time consuming in commencing investigations, making it difficult to deal with modern national and transnational crime syndicates effectively.

Record funding has been invested by the Howard Government in our law enforcement agencies, both to fight transnational crime at home and, at its source, overseas. As a result of this record funding, Commonwealth law enforcement agencies are now recognised around the world for their expertise, skill and efficiency. More illicit drugs are being seized than ever before, and as a result, criminal intelligence authorities report a heroin drought in capital cities around Australia. As a consequence of this reduced supply, overdose deaths have dropped dramatically. Unlike Labor, the Coalition will never support drug injecting rooms or heroin trials.

While we have delivered on our 1998 law and order commitments in full, the Coalition believes there is more that must be done to keep our borders secure and reduce the impact of serious and organised crime on our community.

To strengthen this fight against crime a re-elected Coalition Government’s plan will commit to an additional $134.7 million over four years to fund comprehensive law enforcement initiatives, including:

• $47 million new funding over four years to expand the successful Law Enforcement Cooperation Program. As part of these measures, 16 additional AFP officers will be placed overseas, taking the total to 58 positions in at least 24 countries.   
• $47 million new funding over three years to double the AFP’s mobile strike team capacity to 200. Modelled on the highly successful National Illicit Drug Strategy ‘Avian’ strike teams, 100 extra AFP officers will be deployed throughout the country to respond to serious crimes including drug trafficking, people smuggling, major fraud, terrorism and politically motivated violence.
• $21.4 million new funding over four years to expand the AFP ‘Axiom’ undercover policing program enabling the AFP to conduct more effective targeted operations into serious and organised crime.
• $7.2 million new funding over three years to boost the rapid response capabilities of the AFP through two new remote command centres complete with telecommunications, computer and intelligence facilities. It will also provide for a mobile forensic laboratory.
• $9.5 million new funding over four years to upgrade the Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence ALERT database to provide law enforcement with an intelligence forecast capacity to identify and then aggressively target existing and emerging criminal activities.
• $1.6 million new funding over four years to expand the research, forensic science and development capabilities of the AFP and take advantage of new and emerging forensic techniques and technologies.
• $1 million over four years to support the highly successful National Crime Stoppers network in consultation with each Board of Directors.

Our plan for a safer and more secure Australia will also expand on our CRIMTRAC initiative to implement a National Stolen Motor Vehicle register as part of a comprehensive plan to tackle motor vehicle theft.
A re-elected Coalition Government will also implement legislation for the return of proceeds of crime to ensure ill-gotten gains seized from criminals are invested in the fight against crime and into supporting drug treatment and diversionary programs for drug addicts.

The Coalition is committed to delivering strong, modern and effective law enforcement and to creating a safer community for all Australians.

Impact on the Forward Estimates

30 October 2001