Our Plan for a Safe and Secure Australia

Key points

The first duty of any government is to keep Australians safe and secure.

Only the Coalition can be trusted to protect our sovereignty and our borders, our democracy and our way of life.

Our world is changing. War stalks Europe again. Coercion troubles our region once more. An arc of autocracy is challenging the rules-based order that our grandparents secured.

We’ve entered a period of escalating strategic competition regionally and globally, particularly with an increasingly assertive China.

Democratic, free people must stand together. We are working with partners across the globe who are share our interests in a stable, secure and prosperous region.

The Morrison Government has a clear and focused plan to do this, based on three principles:

Resilience over reliance.
Relationships over vulnerable isolation.
Rules over anarchy.

The Coalition has an unmatched record of keeping Australians safe and secure and for steadfastly defending the international rules-based order.

We have taken decisive action to respond to global and national events, while protecting against future shocks.
We are increasing our capacity to respond to the ongoing challenges of national security threats.
We are fortifying and expanding our security resources to keep our nation safe.

The Coalition Government has:

supported Ukraine and its people during the current illegal and unprovoked aggression by Russia.
stood up to economic coercion from other nations.
boosted Defence funding to undertake the most significant investment in our Australian Defence Force since the Second World War and support the men and women of the Australian Defence Force as they deploy on operations, missions and other activities at home, in our region and around the globe in Australia’s national interests.
stood up to foreign interference and strengthened our resilience to ensure that foreign powers cannot meddle in our democracy and institutions.
created the most comprehensive regime in the world to protect our critical infrastructure and systems of national significance from malign state and non-state actors.
grown our web of alliances and partnerships to strengthen the rules-based order, contribute to stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and support a regional counterbalance.
bolstered our counter-terrorism, law enforcement and intelligence capabilities, resources and personnel to record levels.
undertaken the most significant reforms to the foreign investment review framework in decades.
invested in addressing vulnerabilities in our critical supply chains, including by boosting manufacturing and investing in critical minerals and technology.
supported our Pacific family and Southeast Asian partners, including through our COVID-19 vaccine assistance, our economic recovery support, our infrastructure initiatives, our security assistance, our labour mobility programs and our recognition of their sovereignty.
expanded our diplomatic reach and influence in our region – particularly the Indo-Pacific – and around the world.

By contrast, Labor cannot be trusted on national security:

Labor cut Defence spending to the lowest level since 1938.
Labor lost control of our borders and oversaw more than 50,000 illegal maritime arrivals and at least 1,200 deaths at sea.
Labor slashed the budget of our national security and law enforcement agencies.
Labor opposed mandatory minimum sentences for child sex offences and firearms trafficking, before flip-flopping.
Labor opposed laws to make it easier to kick foreign criminals out of Australia.
Labor abandoned our Quad partners to avoid upsetting authoritarian powers.
Labor was reckless when dealing with international partners, such as cancelling the live cattle trade with Indonesia without notice.

Labor will abolish Temporary Protection Visas, a key component of Operation Sovereign Borders, and give permanent visas to their legacy caseload of illegal boat arrivals.

Labor will bleed the Defence and national security budgets dry to pay for their economic mismanagement.

Labor has failed to repudiate the anti-AUKUS movement run by unions, the extreme left and other Labor-affiliated entities.

Labor has taken the side of other nations against Australia’s national interest.

Labor takes an each-way bet on support for Israel.

Labor cannot be trusted to make the hard choices.

Labor is soft on crime.

Only the Coalition can be trusted to protect our sovereignty and our borders, our democracy and our way of life.

Only the Coalition can keep Australia and Australians safe.

In uncertain times, Australia can’t risk Labor.

Our Plan

Australia’s strategic environment is deteriorating, with huge implications for our national security, our sovereignty and our prosperity.

Our region, the Indo-Pacific, is the epicentre of intensifying global strategic competition and is itself in the midst of the most consequential strategic realignment since the Second World War. We face rapid militarisation, as well as increasing malign activities such as espionage, disinformation, cyber-attacks, foreign interference and economic coercion.

1. Standing with Ukraine

Australia stands with the people of Ukraine and continues to call on Russia to stop its unprovoked, unjust and illegal invasion of Ukraine.

The Coalition reiterates its strongest support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and for the people of Ukraine.

The Coalition will always stand up for a world that favours freedom against authoritarian regimes which seek to deny nations the ability to make their own decisions, free from coercion.

Working closely with partners, the Morrison Government has:

provided over $225 million of defensive military assistance to Ukraine to support its response to Russia’s unrelenting brutality.
provided $65 million in humanitarian assistance with a focus on protecting women, children and the elderly, including for food, shelter and emergency medical supplies.
provided at least 70,000 tonnes of thermal coal to power Ukraine’s resistance.
prohibited the import into Australia of Russian oil, refined petroleum products, gas and coal.
referred Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and committed personnel and $1 million to help the ICC investigate Russian war crimes.
joined 140 countries in condemning Russia in the United Nations General Assembly.
made available a temporary humanitarian visa for Ukrainian nationals, allowing them to work, study and access Medicare in Australia.
imposed over 800 targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on 812 people and 47 entities, including Russian President Putin.These rapidly coordinated measures with key partners have impeded Putin’s ability to fund his illegal war on Ukraine.

2. Supporting the Pacific region

The Pacific region is central to Australia’s security and prosperity, and the Morrison Government has rightly given it unprecedented attention.

The Pacific Step-up is a key plank of our foreign and strategic policy. The Office of the Pacific was established in 2019 to coordinate a whole-of-government effort and bring a strategic focus to Australia’s partnership with our shared Pacific family.

The Coalition continues to partner with our Pacific family to help them preserve and strengthen their sovereignty, support economic growth and enhance their people’s wellbeing.

We have been expanding and deepening our partnerships through the Pacific Step-up with our increased diplomatic footprint, our targeted and effective development program and the Office of the Pacific.

The Coalition Government has made record investments in the Pacific, with $1.85 billion in development assistance in the coming year and $2.7 billion in total support for the current year, including our development, security, health and financial support, and has committed at least $700 million in climate finance through to 2025.

We have supported our Pacific family in times of need, including the economic and health shocks of the pandemic; responding to natural disasters such as tropical cyclones and Tonga’s volcanic eruption and tsunami; and responding to Solomon Islands’ call to help quell civil unrest in late 2021.

The Coalition will continue to prioritise our Pacific family to ensure the safety, security and sovereignty of the Pacific is best supported by those in the region.

Under the Pacific Step-up, the Morrison Government is delivering a record $2.7 billion in support across the Pacific this year (2021-22) (development assistance, security, health and financial support).

The Coalition Government has delivered and continues to deliver:

a record $1.85 billion in development assistance to the Pacific in 2022-23.
diplomatic missions in every Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) country (Australia is the only country with missions in all PIF nations), opening six (Marshall Islands, French Polynesia, Niue, Palau, Tuvalu and Cook Islands) since 2018.
the doubling of the lending capacity of the Australia Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) from $1.5 billion to $3 billion to provide more options for Pacific countries on infrastructure. Committed over $900 million for 10 critical infrastructure projects, with a pipeline of 22 projects across 11 countries including the Solomon Islands Tina River hydro power transmission line, the Palau Spur telecommunications cable, and a focus on climate resilient infrastructure.
the 4,700 km Coral Sea Cable (completed) to Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.
PacificAusTV: sharing over 1,000 hours of Australian TV content to 14 Pacific broadcasters each year.
a financing package through Export Finance Australia of over USD$1.33 billion to support Telstra’s proposed acquisition of Digicel Pacific, the leading telecommunications provider in the Southwest Pacific.
support for Papua New Guinea on COVID economic impacts, with bilateral loans.
engagement through the PacificAus Sports Program and the Australia-Pacific Olympic and Paralympic Partnership.
Australia, the USA and Japan announced a trilateral partnership to invest in projects in the Indo-Pacific region that build infrastructure, address development challenges and promote economic growth.
Pacific labour mobility programs, with more than 24,000 Pacific and Timorese workers in Australia and 52,000 pre-approved workers ready to come.

SECURITY

Australia was the first country Solomon Islands called on when unrest began in November 2021, with Australian Federal Police to remain there until the end of 2023.
Australia was one of the first to support Tonga’s response to the volcanic eruption and tsunami.
$2 billion Pacific Maritime Security Program for 21 Patrol Boats and upgraded wharf infrastructure, with 14 Patrol Boats already delivered.
continuing to support Australian and international security through our Defence Cooperation Program (DCP), which develops close and enduring links with international partners, particularly in the Pacific, to support their capacity to protect their sovereignty and work with the Australian Defence Force.This includes around $50 million a year in assistance to Papua New Guinea, our largest DCP partner, and a further more than $125 million a year in assistance across the South Pacific region.
established and funded the Australian Pacific Security College.
delivering an integrated police, health and disaster management radio network across Solomon Islands.
$22 million to support the Solomon Islands Government to fund salaries for essential workers and mitigate the impact of civil unrest and the economic effects of COVID.
delivering regional security institutions including the Blackrock Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Camp in Fiji and the Pacific Fusion Centre in Port Vila, which are both operational. The Morrison Government is also working with our Pacific family to partner on a western and eastern Border and Patrol Boat Outpost in Solomon Islands and the Lombrum Naval Base in Papua New Guinea.
established a Pacific Faculty of Policing within the Australian Institute of Police Management, to provide leadership and development opportunities to senior police across the Pacific.
$106 million for the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force-Australian Federal Police Partnership Program (RAPPP) to jointly develop capability and capacity to benefit the RSIPF and the people of the Solomon Islands and our collective ability to combat transnational organised crime threats across the region.
following the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), invested an additional $141 million over four years to continue supporting the police and justice system.
undertaken Indo-Pacific Endeavour, which is an Australian Defence Force activity that is geared towards enhancing interoperability with Australia’s key regional partners, including across the Pacific, and building a positive relationship with militaries in the region.

COVID-19

Australia is a key partner in the Pacific’s response to the pandemic, including providing over 3.7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to the Pacific and Timor-Leste so far, and over 210 tonnes of humanitarian supplies, using over 480 flights to deliver these essential goods and services.
deployed 13 Australian Medical Assistance (AUSMAT) teams to respond to COVID-19 outbreaks.
provided over $300 million over the last two years in temporary, targeted and supplementary development assistance funding to address the COVID pandemic impacts in the Pacific and Timor-Leste to protect the most vulnerable, with a focus on women and girls.An additional $314 million will be provided over the next two years.
Our Pacific Women program reached almost 250,000 women and girls in 2020-21 – providing crisis services, training and upskilling, and financial literacy support to help them mitigate the impacts of the COVID pandemic on their lives. We will invest a further $170 million 2021-2026, to advance gender equality and women’s leadership in the region through our new Pacific Women Lead program

3. Standing up to economic coercion

Australia has faced unprecedented levels of economic coercion, where nations have sought to interfere with trade and impose other costs on us because we stood up and supported a world that favours freedom and the rule of law.

The Morrison Government has a clear record of standing up to this type of bullying. In the face of economic and political pressure, we have not backed down. We are also diversifying and expanding our markets, signing trade agreements with Indonesia, India, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) and the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER Plus), among others.

A re-elected Coalition Government will continue this strong record:

Defending Australians and our economy against economic and other forms of coercion by standing by our principles and values.
Continuing to elevate and diversify our economic, trade and other relationships as a counterbalance to authoritarian regimes in our region who seek to intimidate.
Enhancing all tools of statecraft to maximise our ability to protect and advance our national interests.

4. Enhancing Australia’s defence and deterrence

Australia and our region are now in the midst of the most consequential and challenging strategic realignment since the Second World War.

A potent, capable and agile defence force is essential to defend Australia – keeping adversaries at bay and reducing the risk to vital infrastructure.

The Coalition Government has delivered on its commitment to bring Defence funding back above 2 per cent of GDP after Labor cuts reduced it to the lowest level since 1938.

Under the Coalition, Defence spending has almost doubled. We’re undertaking the most significant rebuild of the Australian Defence Force since the Second World War, with more than $270 billion invested in defence capability over the decade to 2030.

The men and women of the Australian Defence Force continue to serve our nation while deployed on operations, missions and other activities at home, in the region and around the globe in support of Australia’s national interests.

The Morrison Government has entered into the AUKUS trilateral security partnership with the UK and USA, the most important change in our approach to regional security in generations. AUKUS complements our efforts to build a network of international partnerships to keep Australia and our region safe.

The first major initiative under AUKUS is a trilateral program to support Australia in acquiring at least eight nuclear powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy, to be built in South Australia.

Our collaboration with AUKUS partners will also underpin a major leap in cutting-edge advanced capabilities, including cyber, artificial intelligence, quantum, undersea technologies, hypersonics, electronic warfare and defence innovation.

The Coalition is strengthening Australia’s self-reliance by growing a sovereign defence industrial base and supply chains. Our investment in the defence industry is also creating jobs across the country, and building a skilled workforce that can adapt to, and change with, our priorities.

We are working more closely than ever with our allies and strategic partners to enhance military cooperation and build a cohesive Australian force to work with others to deter and defeat aggression.

The Morrison Government signed the landmark Reciprocal Access Agreement with Japan, further elevating their defence and security cooperation in support of a secure and stable Indo-Pacific.

A re-elected Coalition Government will:

maintain Defence spending above two per cent of GDP and grow the Defence budget in real terms every year.
maintain and support our alliances and partnerships including with the United States (ANZUS), our enhanced trilateral security partnership with the United Kingdom and the United States (AUKUS), and other defence and security agreements with Indo-Pacific partners.

5. Combatting foreign interference and espionage

Espionage and foreign interference are a serious threat to our national security, our sovereignty and our way of life. Over the last three years, our security agencies have identified espionage and foreign interference attempts against all levels of Australian politics and in every state and territory.

The Coalition Government has responded with strong new laws to criminalise foreign interference and modernise our espionage offences; a specialist interagency Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce; and our Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme. As well, we have introduced our Foreign Arrangements Scheme, enabling the Minister for Foreign Affairs to cancel any foreign agreements made by states and territories (including entities like universities) that are inconsistent with our foreign policy.

A re-elected Coalition Government will:

remain vigilant against foreign interference attempts, and protect Australians from malicious activity or disinformation designed to destabilise Australia or compromise our national interests.
continue to use and enforce every national security tool at our disposal, including the Foreign Arrangements Scheme and our Foreign Interference and Espionage laws, to strike down threats to our national security and interest.

6. Strengthening alliances and partnerships

Australia needs to work closely with others to protect and promote our interests. The Morrison Government has a strong plan to respond to growing strategic instability caused by autocratic countries and challenges to the rules-based order, and to help build a stable, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

The Morrison Government has deepened our critical strategic relationships with the United Kingdom and the United States. Establishing the enhanced trilateral security partnership – AUKUS – will enable the partners to significantly deepen cooperation on a range of emerging security and defence capabilities. This is an historic opportunity for the three nations, with other like-minded allies and partners, to steadfastly protect our shared values and to promote security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. We will uphold the highest non-proliferation standards, building on our world leading non-proliferation credentials and commitments.

The Morrison Government has reinvigorated the Quad with India, Japan and the United States, with the first leader-level meeting held in 2021. This vital strategic grouping is working to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific, contributing to pressing challenges from vaccines to space and critical technology.

Long-standing information-sharing arrangements with our Five-Eyes partners – the USA, UK, Canada and New Zealand – are more important than ever.

The Coalition Government is deepening partnerships in the region, with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) central to our vision of the Indo‑Pacific. A strong and resilient ASEAN is vital to our region’s success and supports Australia’s own prosperity and security. Through our new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership – ASEAN’s first – Australia and ASEAN will deepen cooperation on economic and security priorities, health, and climate change. Australia’s support to Southeast Asia since the pandemic includes over $300 million for vaccines, $500 million in landmark economic development and security measures, as well as our ongoing $1 billion development assistance program. This is Australia’s largest investment in Southeast Asia since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

The Morrison Government has also elevated our bilateral relationships with India, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Thailand, Germany and Austria, reflecting the breadth and depth of our shared interests.

A re-elected Coalition Government will:

continue to expand our alliances and security partnerships to provide strategic security and confidence, as part of a strategic counterbalance in the region.
build further on our landmark Southeast Asian partnerships to complement our Pacific Step-up and other regional security and trade relationships.

7. Playing our part in the global rules-based order

Under the Coalition, Australia has stood up for the international rules-based order, which has supported peace, stability and prosperity for decades but is now under threat. Our strong and experienced Coalition Government will continue to make the hard calls and show leadership on the global stage. Now is not the time for turning back.

A re-elected Coalition Government will:

use our reformed autonomous sanctions regime to impose costs on those countries, entities and individuals who perpetrate human rights abuses; conduct or support terrorism or malicious cyber activity; proliferate weapons of mass destruction and illegal ballistic missiles; or participate in other illegal activities that undermine global security.
continue to defend human rights in partnership with other nations that share our values and principles, including through new Magnitsky sanctions.
maintain our principled position on defending the right of freedom of religious belief. We’ll continue to stand against vilification, persecution and targeting of an individual or community based on religious beliefs, including anti-semitism and holocaust denial in all its forms.
continue to stand against one-sided and provocative resolutions in the United Nations and elsewhere that aim to unfairly target Israel, or challenge its right to exist.
continue to implement our Second National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security.
preserve and enhance our long-standing principles on arms control and the non-proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and defend the international arms control and non-proliferation framework, including the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Australia Group, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and other agreements such as the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty, the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Missile Technology Control Regime.

8. Protecting critical infrastructure and systems

The Coalition has acted to strengthen the protection of our critical infrastructure and systems from cyber attacks by both non-state and state actors, and other serious security threats that could impact our economy, security and sovereignty.

We have passed world-first laws to protect Australia’s critical infrastructure. The reforms ensure Australia’s most important systems like energy, transport, food and grocery, banking and health care are safeguarded against a range of threats, especially cyber-attack. Authorities will be able to help critical infrastructure operators in the event of a catastrophic cyber-attack, and apply enhanced cybersecurity protections to our most important assets.

A re-elected Coalition Government will:

continue to strengthen our management of and response to security risks across all critical infrastructure.
continue to ensure our security agencies are properly funded to meet the threat of increasing security challenges that could undermine our critical infrastructure and systems.

9. Boosting cyber security and fighting digital crime

The Coalition has been at the forefront of strengthening Australia’s cyber security defences and tackling emerging challenges to keep Australians safe.

Our $9.9 billion cyber and intelligence package known as REDSPICE (Resilience - Effects - Defence - Space - Intelligence - Cyber - Enablers) is the most significant single investment in the Australian Signals Directorate. Through REDSPICE, the Coalition will deliver forward-looking capabilities to maintain Australia's strategic advantage and capability edge over the next decade and beyond.

The REDSPICE package will expand the range and sophistication of our intelligence, offensive and defensive cyber capabilities, including tripling our offensive cyber capability and doubling our persistent cyber-hunt activities. 1,900 new highly-skilled jobs will be created as part of quadrupling its global footprint. $5 billion in opportunities will be available for Australian industry to partner with the Australian Signals Directorate to build sovereign capabilities.

Our 2020 Cyber Security Strategy laid out a comprehensive plan to boost the security of Australians online, backed by a record $1.67 billion investment. We have also passed new laws and established plans to disrupt, pursue and prosecute cybercriminals who unleash ransomware and other scams on Australians, and criminals who ply their evil trade on the dark web.

The Coalition Government has not hesitated to call out malicious cyber activity that attacks Australians and our partners, including through public attributions of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, and non-state cyber attackers.

A re-elected Coalition Government will:

introduce new criminal offences, tougher penalties and mandatory reporting to combat ransomware and other cyber scams.
actively use our offensive cyber capabilities to fight back against cyber and other criminals, particularly those evil perpetrators who hide in the dark web.
continue to ensure the Australian Cyber Security Centre is properly funded to identify and combat cyber threats to Australians and Australian businesses, including through our cyber security help lines.
continue to call out malicious cyber activity by both state and non-state actors.

10. Stronger counter-terrorism, law enforcement andintelligence

The threat of terrorism and violent extremism has not diminished. The Coalition Government continues to take decisive action to prevent, detect and deter terror attacks.

Our new Counter Terrorism Strategy updates our comprehensive plan to counter violent extremism, equip our law enforcement and intelligence agencies, and ensure our laws and arrangements are fit for purpose.

The Coalition Government has delivered record funding in the fight on terror, including an extra $1.3 billion for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and boosting the Australian Federal Police’s annual budget to more than $1.7 billion.

We’ve strengthened laws to ensure our highest risk terrorists remain behind bars and that terrorists serve their full sentences even when weak state laws provide discounts; and enabling us to cancel the citizenship of dual national terrorists.

We’ve listed terrorist organisations under our Criminal Code, making it illegal to be a member or supporter, including Hizballah and Hamas in their entirety and other extremist groups such as The Base and the Sonnenkrieg Division.

With an emphasis on fighting international terrorism off-shore, before it reaches Australian homes, the Morrison Government’s counter-terrorism approach includes active participation in countering on-line radicalisation and recruitment, terrorist financing, disrupting terrorist activity before it occurs, and finding terrorists after they strike.The Morrison Government proudly co-chairs with Indonesia the Global Counter Terrorism Forum’s Working Group on Countering Violent Extremism as a direct protective measure.

A re-elected Coalition Government will:

continue to ensure our law enforcement and security agencies are properly funded to keep Australians safe from the threat of terrorism.
continue to strengthen laws to keep terrorists and those who support terrorists locked up or out of Australia.
implement our National Terrorist Register to keep track of terrorists and terrorist sympathisers following their release from jail.
focus on countering violent extremism by investing in practical programs to help prevent people being recruited.
continue to invest in international counter-terrorism connections that protect Australians at home and overseas, including enhancing our active counter-terrorism connections through an ASEAN Counter-Terrorism Dialogue.

The Coalition has continued to keep our communities and children safe from crime.

The threat of transnational, serious and organised crime, including gangs, is real. It is estimated that serious and organised crime costs hardworking taxpayers up to $60 billion a year.

The Coalition Government introduced world-first powers to put high-risk mafia, triad and other gang leaders behind bars. We will continue to smash the criminal networks who import and manufacture illicit drugs, chemicals and firearms, and who launder their ill-gotten gains through law-abiding communities.

We’ve invested in the Australian Federal Police to boost their capabilities to keep communities safe from criminals and the threat of drugs and violence, including through the use of Organised Crime Strike Teams and the Criminal Asset Confiscation Taskforce.

The Coalition’s tough stance on crime has meant more detections and seizures, taking drugs, guns and other weapons off our streets. We’ve cracked down on firearms trafficking, with new laws, increased penalties and mandatory minimum sentences.

We’ve also boosted the resources of the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the Australian Border Force, and AUSTRAC as part of our comprehensive plan to combat transnational, serious and organised crime.

The Coalition Government’s Safer Communities Fund continues to support community groups to undertake practical projects to boost community safety.We’ve invested more than $315 million to support over 800 local projects since 2016.

Since 2016, investments through the Safer Communities Fund have ensured local schools, councils, community groups, religious institutions and others have the funding they need for programs that reduce crime and violence, decrease anti-social behaviour, and make communities safer and more secure.This includes security infrastructure such as CCTV, security lighting, doors, fencing and alarms, and bollards.

The Coalition has always been tough on those seeking to harm children. We’ve introduced mandatory minimum sentences for child sex offenders and created the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE), which is leading the world in fighting child exploitation. We will continue to identify, disrupt and prosecute child sex offenders no matter where they are or try to hide.

A re-elected Coalition Government will:

support our Organised Crime Strike Teams to target illicit drug and firearm trafficking, money laundering and other serious crime.
continue to ensure our law enforcement and security agencies are properly funded to keep communities and children safe from crime.
continue helping local communities to reduce crime, violence and anti-social behaviour through our Safer Communities Fund.
continue to strengthen laws to keep organised criminals, gangs, child sex offenders and others who are a threat to our community and children locked up or out of Australia.
continue to seize proceeds of crime and invest those assets in programs to help community groups to combat crime.
ensure that the ACCCE can continue to lead the world in fighting child exploitation and catch evil predators wherever they lurk.

The Coalition Government has always backed our intelligence agencies to protect us from the national security threats that undermine our safety and security, as well as our sovereignty.

From our REDSPICE cyber and intelligence package for the Australian Signals Directorate to establishing a Cyber and Critical Technology Intelligence Centre within the Office of National Intelligence, the Coalition has delivered the resources needed for our intelligence agencies to keep Australians safe.

11. Protecting our borders

Only the Coalition can be trusted to keep Australians safe and our border secure. Our strong border policies stopped the boats, ending deaths at sea and the illegal trade of people smuggling.

By contrast, when the last Labor government dismantled our strong and effective border policies, lives were lost, chaos erupted and thousands of children were locked up in detention.

A re-elected Coalition Government will never allow a repeat of the border chaos we saw under Labor. We will:

Maintain Operation Sovereign Borders: the strong and proven policy that saves lives, and tackles people smuggling and irregular migration.
Sustain the three vital pillars of our border policies: boat turn-backs where it is safe to do so, regional processing, and temporary protection visas.
Continue to take a hard line stance against non-citizen criminals: by cancelling or refusing the visas of those who commit serious crimes, and strengthening the grounds for doing so.

12. Securing critical technologies and supply chains

The Coalition Government recognises the importance of securing critical technologies and resilient supply chains.

Critical technology advancements over the last few decades have fundamentally revolutionised the way we live. They underpin our national security and drive our economic prosperity by creating new jobs, securing competitive manufacturing, improving our health and vaccination outcomes, increasing agricultural productivity, modernising our infrastructure and communications, enabling our energy transition, strengthening our defence forces and preserving our democracy.

But technology also brings risk. We live in a time of uncertainty, characterised by increasing geostrategic competition. Critical technologies are enabling rapid military modernisation, economic coercion, foreign interference and cyber threats.

Access to critical technologies relies on building secure, resilient and diverse supply chains for key input materials, including processed critical minerals.

The Coalition Government is addressing these challenges through the Office of Supply Chain Resilience, the Critical Minerals Facilitation Office and the Critical Technologies Policy Coordination Office.

The Morrison Government has released the Blueprint for Critical Technologies – our plan to capitalise on critical technologies to drive a technologically-advanced, future-ready nation.

It outlines the steps we are taking to promote and protect critical technologies in our national interest. These efforts will yield security and economic dividends, ensuring the critical technologies we depend on are reliable, accessible, resilient and secure, as well as governed by rules and norms that promote openness and transparency.

Our Record

The Coalition has a strong, unmatched record when it comes to keeping Australians safe.

Locking up terrorists: Our Government has taken decisive action to prevent, detect and deter terror attacks, with:

150 people charged as a result of 77 counter‑terrorism-related operations since September 2014, when the national terrorism threat level was raised to probable.
the introduction of Continuing Detention Orders and Control Orders to keep our highest risk terrorist offenders behind bars and restrict the movement of offenders when released.
laws to ensure terrorists serve their full sentence, even if weak state laws provide a discount.
the revocation of the Australian citizenship of 22 former dual nationals under the terrorism-related provisions of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007.
$86.7 million to protect the community from the threat of high-risk terrorists, including $19.8 million for a national terrorist register.
$61.7 million to prevent radicalisation through programs to counter all forms of violent extremism and promote social cohesion.
the listing of 29 groups as proscribed terrorist organisations under the Criminal Code, including the Base and the entirety of Hizballah and Hamas.
criminalising the hosting and streaming of “abhorrent violent material” online, such as acts of terrorism.

Upgrading airport security: The Coalition supported 47 regional airports to upgrade security screening with the $50.1 million Regional Airport Security Screening Fund.

Upholding our civil maritime security: The Coalition delivered the Australian Government Civil Maritime Security Strategy to maintain the security of our maritime trade, infrastructure, and natural resources.

Operation Ironside: The Coalition passed new laws enabling the Australian Federal Police’s biggest operation in history, Operation Ironside, in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. So far more than 350 offenders have been charged with over 2,000 criminal offences, six drug labs were shut down and more than six tonnes of drugs and 141 weapons were seized.

Securing our border: The Coalition made our air and sea ports more secure to stop organised criminals using our border as a gateway to bring in weapons, illicit drugs and other harmful goods.

Deporting dangerous criminals: The Coalition has cancelled or refused more than 10,000 visas on character grounds since 2014.This includes: 219 for murder; 485 for rape or sexual assault; 807 child sex offenders; 512 for armed robbery; and 1,756 for drug offences.

Seizing and destroying drugs and weapons: The Coalition’s tough stance on drugs and weapons has meant more detections and seizures – and fewer drugs and weapons on our streets, including:

the largest heroin seizure in Australia’s history (451 kg), with a street value of around $140 million.
more than 39 tonnes of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals seized in 2020-21.
over 42 tonnes of illicit drugs seized by overseas police with AFP assistance in 2019-2021.
More than 1,000 firearms detected at the border in 2020-21.

Tougher gun trafficking penalties: The Coalition cracked down on firearms trafficking to keep guns off our streets with tough new laws, increased penalties and mandatory minimum sentences.

Boosting police resources: The Coalition has invested to improve Australian Federal Police capability, with more than $1.7 billion in 2022-23to keep the community safe from criminals and the threat of drugs and violence.

Fighting organised crime and gangs: The Coalition has invested more than $287 million to fight organised crime, boosting the Australian Federal Police, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and the Australian Border Force to tackle outlaw motorcycle gangs, mafia cartels and triads peddling illicit drugs, firearms and money laundering.

Detecting and stopping financial crime: The Coalition has increased AUSTRAC’s funding and staff by over 50 per cent, boosting its ability to tackle illicit funds and stop money getting to criminals and terrorists, in addition to:

enforcing Australia’s financial sanctions against Russia.
releasing the Forced Sexual Servitude in Australia Financial Crime Guide in 2022.
launching a campaign to tackle money laundering risks to pubs and clubs in 2022.

Pedophiles off our streets: To protect children, the Coalition has cancelled or refused the visas of more than 807 child sex offenders since 2014.

From July 2019 to March 2022, Australian Federal Police child exploitation investigations led to 560 arrests on 5,192 charges.

Tougher laws for child sex offenders: The Coalition introduced mandatory minimum sentences for child sex offenders, aggravated offences for child sexual abuse and new offences for grooming online.

Preventing Child Sexual Abuse: The Coalition invested $307.5 million to deliver the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse and Action Plans, including almost $60 million in the 2021-22 Budget for the Australian Federal Police to further invest in new frontline operational activities to keep our children safe.

Fighting child exploitation: The Coalition established the Australian Federal Police-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE), a world leader against child exploitation. In 2021, the ACCCE received more than 33,000 reports of online child sexual exploitation. The Centre has:

helped remove 232 children from harm, including 88 in Australia and 144 overseas.
led to more than 2,772 charges laid.
created the Closing the Net Podcast, to educate about the dangers of online exploitation.
launched the “Stop the Stigma” campaign to encourage discussion on child exploitation.

Record proceeds of crime seizures: The Coalition’s crackdown on crime has led to theAustralian Federal Police’s seizure of more than $470 million in criminal assets since July 2019. Under the Proceeds of Crime Act, the Morrison Government invests to help groups such as Neighborhood Watch and the Daniel Morcombe Foundation.

Tackling Modern Slavery: The Coalition has invested $10.6 million for projects to combat modern slavery and protect the vulnerable in Australia, as well as identify modern slavery in business supply chains, under the National Action Plan to Combat Modern Slavery 2020-25. The Morrison Government also released Australia’s second International Engagement Strategy on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery, which increases our strategic cooperation with partners and strengthens the systems in our region to detect, prevent and respond to these crimes of coercion and control.We are also funding an $80 million commitment until 2028 through the ASEAN‑Australia Counter Trafficking program to counter trafficking in Southeast Asia.

Strengthening Australia’s Cyber Security: The Coalition is investing a record $1.67 billion to strengthen Australia’s cyber security defences and meet emerging challenges to keep Australians safe.

Ransomware Action Plan: The Coalition launched our Ransomware Action Plan to disrupt, pursue and prosecute cybercriminals.

International Cyber: The Coalition Government published Australia’s International Cyber and Critical Tech Engagement Strategy in 2021 which sets out Australia’s approach to increasing the security of Australians and our business and commercial enterprises, and lays out our action plan to work with security partners to reinforce the rules-based international system.

Securing smart devices: The Coalition introduced the Code of Practice: Securing the Internet of Things for Consumers to help lift the security of smart devices.

Modernising electronic surveillance: The Coalition is reforming Australia’s electronic surveillance framework as part of a major revamp of Australia’s national security legislation.

Boosting online safety: The Coalition has implemented world-leading reforms to keep Australians safe online, including:

establishing the world’s first eSafety Commissioner to force social media companies to remove cyberbullying of children from their platforms.
empowering the eSafety Commissioner with powers to take down illegal and prohibited online content, including child sexual abuse material - investigations have been conducted into over 70,000 items.
legislating the Online Safety Act to provide stronger online safety protections, including the world’s first scheme to remove adult cyber abuse.
passing laws following the Christchurch terrorist attack to hold social media companies accountable for terrorist and abhorrent violent material hosted on their platforms.

Stopping text scams: The Coalition has introduced new regulations to enable telcos to identify and block SMS scams at their source.

Protecting Critical Technology Supply Chains: The Coalition is helping businesses of all sizes securely and confidently adopt critical emerging technologies, with new Critical Technology Supply Chain Principles.

Policing the dark web: The Coalition passed ground-breaking new laws that allow law enforcement to track organised criminals, pedophiles and drug pushers on the dark web to shut down their evil trade.

Data sharing to put criminals away: The Coalition signed a historic agreement with the United States that provides the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation with access to the data they need to investigate and prosecute serious crime, including child sexual abuse, ransomware attacks, terrorism and money laundering.

Secure connectivity: The Coalition invested $31.7 million in the security of Australia’s 5G and future 6G networks to make sure our digital economy is trusted and safe, building on our decision to block high risk vendors from our 5G networks to protect their integrity from foreign interference.

Resourcing to protect Australia’s interests: The Coalition has provided the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation with the tools it needs to keep Australians safe, by investing a record $1.3 billion in the 2021-22 Budget to ensure capability over the next decade and identify and respond to threats against Australia’s interests.

Countering Foreign Interference: The Coalition established the interagency specialist Counter Foreign Interference (CFI) Taskforce led by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, which has investigated more than 30 cases and disrupted several attempts to interfere in domestic politics, resulting in the first Australian Federal Police foreign interference charge.

We have invested $145.2 million since 2018-19 on specific counter foreign interference measures, including $87.8 million for the CFI Taskforce.
Our agencies have used their full range of human and technical capabilities, partnerships and legislative instruments to discover, disrupt and deter multiple espionage attempts in Australia – protecting our national security.
Our security agencies are actively supporting the Electoral Integrity Assurance Taskforce led by the Australian Electoral Commission.
We established an interagency Foreign Interference Analytical Unit to provide integrated analysis of foreign interference threats and inform the wider counter foreign interference strategy.

Foreign Influence Transparency: The Coalition introduced the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme to increase public knowledge of the level and extent to which foreign powers are seeking to affect our political systems and processes and undermine our sovereignty.

Foreign influence in our universities: The Coalition established the University Foreign Interference Taskforce, bringing together universities and government agencies to work collaboratively on countering foreign interference at university campuses.

We developed new guidelines to assist Australian universities to strengthen their resilience to foreign interference.

Foreign arrangements by states: The Coalition established a Foreign Arrangements Scheme to ensure states, territories, local governments or universities do not negotiate or enter arrangements that adversely affect Australia’s foreign relations or that are inconsistent with Australia’s foreign policy.

The Morrison Government has cancelled foreign arrangements that undermined Australia’s foreign policy and the national interest, including Victoria’s Belt and Road Initiative arrangements with China.

Defence Spending: The Coalition has increased Defence spending to more than 2 per cent of our Gross Domestic Product.

Under the Coalition, Defence spending has almost doubled (from $25.4 billion in 2013-14 to $48.6 billion in 2022-23).
We will spend more than $575 billion on Defence over the decade to 2030.
The Coalition has approved more than 610 capability investment decisions since 2016, valued at more than $159 billion.

Defence investments: The 2022-23 Budget continues the Coalition’s strong investments in defence and national security.

The Morrison Government’s $9.9 billion investment over the next decade in new national cyber and intelligence capabilities – record funding for the Australian Signals Directorate – will also create more than 1,900 jobs.
The Morrison Government is accelerating improved weapon capabilities for the ADF with a $3.5 billion investment, including the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range, the Naval Strike Missile and Maritime Mines, which will complement our purchase of Tomahawk Cruise Missiles and the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles. This builds on our $1 billion sovereign guided weapons enterprise, where we will manufacture missiles in Australia.
The Morrison Government is investing more than $10 billion in nation-building naval infrastructure to support our massive expansion of the Royal Australian Navy, including a new submarine base on the east coast of Australia. This will be supported by up to $4.3 billion for a large vessel dry dock in Western Australia.
The Morrison Government is investing $428 million to upgrade RAAF Bases Amberley, Pearce and Richmond, and HMAS Albatross to maintain critical infrastructure and create up to 600 jobs. This is part of our doubling of average annual capital works spending on Defence facilities and infrastructure since we came to government.
The Morrison Government is investing over $38 billion to increase the number of ADF personnel by around 30 per cent by 2040, taking the total permanent ADF to almost 80,000 and the permanent Defence workforce to over 101,000.

Naval Shipbuilding: The Coalition’s Naval Shipbuilding Enterprise includes the build and upgrade of over 70 vessels in Australian shipyards, providing continuous naval shipbuilding that will support at least 15,000 jobs.

This is the most significant national shipbuilding enterprise since the Second World War.
The Coalition’s national shipbuilding enterprise includes:
- At least 8 nuclear powered submarines, to be built in SA.
- Nine Hunter class frigates, being built in SA – $45 billion.
- 12 Arafura class patrol boats being built in SA and WA – $4 billion.
- 21 Guardian class Pacific patrol boats being built in WA – $500 million.
- Eight evolved Cape class patrol boats being built in WA – over $440 million.
- Continued Full, Mid and Intermediate cycle dockings of our six Collins class submarines.
- Life-of-Type extension for all six Collins class submarines – up to $6.4 billion.
- Upgrades to three Hobart class air warfare destroyer combat management systems – up to $5.1 billion.
- Build of Landing Craft, Mine Warfare, Hydrographic, Undersea Surveillance, Forward Support and other vessels.

Indo Pacific Endeavour:Since 2017, the Australian Defence Force has undertaken Indo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE), which is an annual activity that delivers on the Coalition’s 2016 Defence White Paper to strengthen our engagement and partnerships with regional security forces.It has involved more than 1,200 personnel, four ships, aircraft and army elements over this time.IPE promotes security and stability in Australia’s near region through bilateral and multilateral engagement, training and capacity building.

South East Asia: In November 2020, the Coalition Government announced a landmark $500 million in new economic, development and security measures to support Southeast Asia’s recovery from COVID-19. Our combined investments, including Australia’s vaccine assistance, ongoing development program in Southeast Asia (over $1 billion) and the $1.5 billion loan to Indonesia for budgetary support, is our most significant investment in Southeast Asia since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Information sharing: The Coalition Government has established and maintained a global and regional network of 29 counter-terrorism co-operation and information sharing arrangements across South East Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

Arms Control: The Coalition Government established Australia’s first Ambassador for Arms Control and Counter-Proliferation to build on Australia’s leadership role in advancing our non-proliferation, disarmament and sanctions goals, and Australia’s first Office for Arms Control and Counter-Proliferation to limit the proliferation threats of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, and lead our work on the appropriate regulation of certain conventional arms.

Sanctions response capability: In December 2021, the Coalition Government significantly strengthened Australia’s sanctions response capability by passing Magnitsky laws to expand our ability to act against the perpetrators of the most egregious human rights abuses.Since the introduction of the laws, the Morrison Government has listed 39 Russians responsible for serious corruption and human rights abuses, including those complicit in the death of Sergei Magnitsky, for whom the laws are named. Our expansion of thematic sanctions under the Autonomous Sanctions Act 2011 also allows us to coordinate with partners to sanction the perpetrators of malicious cyber-attacks.

Pursuing justice for MH17: The Coalition is committed to pursuing justice and accountability for the 298 victims of MH17. With the Netherlands, the Coalition Government has initiated international legal proceedings in the International Civil Aviation Organization against the Russian Federation for its role in the shooting down of Flight MH17 with a Buk missile system.

Supply chain transparency: The Morrison Government has prioritised Australia’s work with Co-Chair Indonesia through the Bali Process to promote and share best practice in supply chain transparency, ethical recruitment and worker remedies.The Coalition is strongly committed to working with Australian businesses and key partners to combat forced labour in global supply chains.

The Risk of Labor

Labor cannot be trusted when it comes to keeping Australians safe.

Labor cannot be trusted on national security:

Labor cut Defence spending to the lowest level since 1938.
Labor lost control of our borders and oversaw more than 50,000 illegal maritime arrivals and at least 1,200 deaths at sea.
Labor slashed the budget of our national security and law enforcement agencies.
Labor opposed mandatory minimum sentences for child sex offences and firearms trafficking, then flip-flopped.
Labor opposed laws to make it easier to kick foreign criminals out of Australia.
Labor abandoned our Quad partners to avoid upsetting authoritarian powers.
Labor was reckless when dealing with international partners, such as cancelling the live cattle trade with Indonesia without notice.

Labor will abolish Temporary Protection Visas, a key component of Operation Sovereign Borders, and give permanent visas to their legacy caseload of illegal boat arrivals.

Labor will bleed the Defence and national security budgets dry to pay for their economic mismanagement.

Labor has failed to repudiate the anti-AUKUS movement run by unions, the extreme left and other Labor-affiliated entities.

Labor has taken the side of other nations against Australia’s national interest.

Labor takes an each-way bet on support for Israel.

Labor cannot be trusted to make the hard choices.

Labor is soft on crime.

Only the Coalition can be trusted to protect our sovereignty and our borders, our democracy and our way of life.

Only the Coalition can keep Australia and Australians safe.

In uncertain times, Australia can’t risk Labor.

COALITION

LABOR

Defence spending

Increased Defence spending to more than 2 per cent of GDP.

Defence spending

Labor slashed Defence spending to 1.56 per cent of GDP - the lowest level since 1938.

Border Protection

Introduced Operation Sovereign Borders to regain control of our borders and stop the boats.

Border Protection

Labor lost control of our borders and oversaw more than 50,000 illegal maritime arrivals and at least 1,200 deaths at sea.

Security investment

Increased the budgets of our national security agencies, including an additional $1.3 billion for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and an annual investment of more than $1.7 billion for the Australian Federal Police.

Security investment

Labor slashed the budgets of our national security and law enforcement agencies.

Criminal penalties

Introduced mandatory minimum sentences for child sex offenders and firearms trafficking.

Criminal penalties

Labor opposed these laws before flip-flopping when faced with public pressure.

Foreign criminals

Introduced laws to strengthen the ability to kick foreign criminals out of Australia.

Foreign criminals

Labor opposed these laws.

Quad partnership

Reinvigorated the Quad partnership with India, Japan and the United States.

Quad partnership

Labor withdrew from the Quad during the Rudd Government to appease China.

AUKUS partnership

Entered the AUKUS enhanced trilateral partnership with the United Kingdom and the United States.

AUKUS partnership

Labor has failed to repudiate the anti-AUKUS movement run by the unions, the extreme left and other Labor-affiliated entities.

Cost

Our Plan for a Safe and Secure Australia is provided for in the budget estimates.