Some changes in the new security bill submitted to parliament last week are welcome, but others require careful scrutiny, especially when the rights of children are at stake.
There were 8,000 forced relocations in Australia’s immigration detention system in a nearly two-year span. New research shows how distressing and destabilising these movements are for refugees.
The government gutted the ranks of experienced decision-makers and made organisational changes that undermined the quality of its decisions.
AAP/James Gourley
Mike Burgess, previously head of the Australian Signals Directorate, has a solid history in the intelligence area and Labor has welcomed the choice.
The creation of the Home Affairs department means that complex and sometimes competing security and law enforcement priorities now have a strategic policy home.
Wes Mountain/The Conversation
Similar concerns were raised 40 years ago when the Department of Defence was formed, but the decision to merge several agencies is now held up for its strategic vision.
The medevac law was passed to streamline the process for emergency medical evacuation of refugees from Manus Island and Nauru. Thirty-one people have been transferred since its passage.
Refugee Action Coalition
With parliament sitting next week, the home affairs minister is pressuring Labor to support a repeal of the medevac law. But the law has worked just as it was intended.
Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton speaking to the media in Brisbane last month about a recent interception of an asylum seeker boat.
Dan Peled/AAP
Australians should be concerned about any shift to an intelligence model that is based on the introduction of greater powers on the one hand, and less oversight and governance on the other.
Shorten is several lengths in front in the polls.
Rebecca Le May/AAP
Any sign of hubris must be avoided, but a prudent opposition – especially with polls suggesting it’s soon likely to be the executive – needs to be well prepared for the first days of power.
Morrison will make announcements around the handling of medical transfers of refugees.
Lukas Coch/AAP
If the government really intends to “reopen” Christmas Island in any major way, it could find itself spending a lot of money there on few if any people.
Australia could be breaching its international legal obligations if it is not fairly assessing asylum seekers who apply for protection at customs.
BRENDAN ESPOSITO/AAP
Australia’s immigration department doesn’t keep a record of the number of people applying for asylum at airports. This means there is no oversight over the treatment of those seeking protection.
Shorten has been caught every which way in the last few days.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
After Shorten was briefed by security officials and with enormous political pressure coming from the government, Labor moved back from its support of the bill as it has come out of the Senate.
Australia has some of the toughest anti-terror laws in the world. But the government isn’t doing enough to prevent extremism at the community level.
David Crosling/AAP
An analysis of budget documents suggests that federal funding for community-based, counter-terrorism programs has dried up.
If Bill Shorten becomes prime minister, he should not be afraid to take a close look at the effectiveness of the home affairs “super” portfolio.
AAP/Dave Hunt
With polling showing Labor is vulnerable on security issues, the opposition leader has the difficult task of distinguishing his party from the government while not being wedged from the right.
The Labor-Green majority report said the Senate should consider censuring Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
The Greens will try to move a no confidence motion against the home affairs minister, but the numbers are not there for it to succeed - proving government members are united.
During his time as Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Peter Dutton granted tourist visas to four foreign au pairs who were denied entry at the Australian border and detained, awaiting deportation.
AAP/Lukas Coch
Australia’s Migration Act allows for ministerial discretion in cases such as the controversial granting of tourist visas to four au pairs - but there remain questions around responsible government.
Attorney-general Christian Porter explicitly cast an eye to coming byelections when welcoming the release of the report.
Lukas Coch/AAP
Where possible, Opposition leader Bill Shorten tries to stick like glue to the government on national security issues, for reasons of politics as well as substance.
The Sept. 11 attacks and subsequent “war on terror” had a transformative impact on the handling of secrecy and surveillance activities in government programs.
Shutterstock
The recent creation of the Home Affairs super portfolio has added another four agencies to the national intelligence community. Here’s how they work together.
We are seeing a power play which has set Peter Dutton and Julie Bishop at odds.
Glenn Hunt/AAP
The fine distinction between expanding ASD powers but it not collecting intelligence on Australians is where the confusion lies, and that will need to be carefully laid out.