Labor cuts back frontline National Security Agencies

12/05/11

At a time when Labor has lost control of Australia’s borders the agencies that detect and protect Australia have more work to do – but less to do it with.

Australia’s national security and border protection becomes weaker with this Labor Budget.

Since coming to power, Labor have employed an additional 24,000 public servants – but have cut operational personnel on the frontline of Australia’s national security.

• In this Budget Labor weakened our national security by cutting $12 million from the National Counter-Terrorism Committee.[1]
• Labor weakened ASIO by cutting $8.8 million from training and liaison.[2] Less training for ASIO officers means Labor’s damage to our national security will be felt for years to come.
• Labor weakened our national security by cutting back on $6.9 million worth of ASIO checks of asylum seekers,[3] at a time when Labor’s incompetent approach to border protection is in disarray.
• Labor weakened our maritime borders by cutting aerial surveillance by $20.8 million[4] and 2,215 aerial surveillance hours.[5] Less aerial surveillance means less detection. Less detection means more risk of boats not being detected, and more risk of tragedies at sea.
• Labor weakened our aviation security by cutting the number of Customs and Border Protection operational staff that scrutinise arrivals into Australia’s eight international airports.[6] As a result of this Budget, there will be fewer sets of eyes and ears checking for drugs and weapons at Australian international airports.
• Labor weakened our national security by cutting funding[7] for Australia’s premier crime fighting agency, the Australian Federal Police, and cut staff numbers[8] at a time when they are stretched beyond capacity and under unprecedented pressure to respond to the chaos in Australia’s immigration detention centres.

This Budget shows how out of touch Julia Gillard and Wayne Swan are with Australian Families, and Labor’s cutbacks to National Security Agencies show how out of touch this Government is.