There is significant concern within the intelligence community about a “power grab” by Home Affairs as the leadership of that portfolio again ramps up efforts to co-opt the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) into their control.
In an remarkable and blatant display of power, a clutch of security officials have renewed a controversial push to bring the military intelligence arm partly under the control of Home Affairs and give it unprecedented new powers to spy on civilian Australians and attack their computer networks. Peter Dutton yesterday backed the changes, demanding a “sensible discussion” about enabling the ASD to target Australians.
The bid was the subject of an investigation into News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst after she revealed the ploy last year, with a high-profile, hours-long raid on the journalist’s Canberra home a fortnight ago intended to intimidate both journalists and whistleblowers who might embarrass security officials. Now, in a clear demonstration that how leaks that favour the government are never pursued, a Nine national security roundsman appears to have been used as the vehicle to make the case for changes that may go even further than those revealed by Smethurst.
Despite journalistic spin that the changes would not amount to the ASD using its military intelligence capacity to spy on Australians, the proposal would include the ASD not merely advising corporations on cybersecurity but being allowed full access to their IT systems in order to “protect” them. The result would be the ASD having unfettered access to vast amounts of private information about the consumers and businesses that use that corporation’s servers — all under the guise of protecting the community from cybersecurity threats.
The traditional secrecy surrounding both national security activities and cybersecurity likely means Australians would not know which corporations were giving the ASD access to their personal and business information — and anyone who revealed them would likely be jailed.
Even though the ASD is a military agency, it undertakes extensive commercial espionage for the benefit of Australian and US corporations, even passing on legally privileged information to US companies that stand to benefit from trade negotiations with Australia’s regional partners. Obtaining authorised access to the systems of large Australian corporations would provide a treasure trove of commercial as well as private data that the ASD could pass on to its Five Eyes counterparts.
However, the aspect of the proposal ringing alarm bells within the intelligence community is that it will require the ASD to “closely coordinate” with Home Affairs. This is seen as cover for the ASD being forced to surrender part-control of its operations to empire-builders in Home Affairs — a de facto co-option of military intelligence by one section of domestic security establishment, with Home Affairs directing the ASD about how it can “coordinate” with domestic security operations — including, potentially, raids on journalists and whistleblowers.
Indeed there is already a widely held view within the intelligence community that it is inappropriate for the Australian Federal Police to be located within the portfolio. That creates problems when the AFP decides which national security leaks are investigated and which are not.
Most recently, after raiding Smethurst for a leak that embarrassed Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo and Defence secretary Greg Moriarty, the AFP decided not to investigate a far more damaging leak of intelligence advice by the government itself to a friendly journalist at The Australian that served its political purposes in relation to the medevac bill. The AFP has a very long history of inventing reasons not to investigate leaks that serve the interests of governments, no matter the damage they do.
The absence of director-general of the Office of National Intelligence Nick Warner from the debate is also a concern. Warner is the former head of ASIS best known for his misjudgment in joining Philippines strongman Rodrigo Duterte in the latter’s trademark hand gesture. Warner has been invisible since his appointment as director-general despite the high-profile intelligence and security issues and continuing cybersecurity failures hitting major government and private Australian institutions.
De facto leadership of the intelligence community appears to have been surrendered to Home Affairs as its leadership tries to override any opposition to its continued expansion.
I am absolutely not in favour of these additional powers given to government agencies
Why do they go through this pretence that spooks obey the Law, domestically, abroad or in My lady’s Chamber?
Doesn’t the Witness K/Collaery persecution demonstrate otherwise?
Democracy thrives in sunlight, the opposite in secrecy & darkness.
Maybe the punters’ of Australia could come ’round to see their enlightened self interest has its limits and start thinking how do we vote for democracy ..Perhaps a good PR advertising company campaign for branding ‘a bill of rights’ to be enshrined under consumer rights laws might tickle the fancy of a nation of commodifying commodified consumers’…
Ruby, you might be intrigued by the proceedings of Sir Francis Walsingham who was Principal Secretary (but read : spymaster – and supervisor of interrogations) to Queen Elizabeth I.
In similar manner the issue is very much less one of “rights” but the perceived diminished capacity by the ASD to “run their own race” in respect to internal investigations without someone (anyone) looking over their shoulder. That it is Dutton (for now) is just a detail. The issue, for the ASD (desiring its proceedings to be anonymous) is to head any such initiative off at the PASS; AFP or anyone.
Yet again, Mr Thompson (below) takes the prize. As for PR I could provide examples from the Babylonian civilization (just how else could one control the whole of Mesopotamia – a first off by the way) to the Roman Senate.
Yes, Ruby, the matter has a great deal to do with PR but utterly contrary to your envisaged game plan. Moreover, ‘the person in the street’ doesn’t give a flying as to how such mechanics of government operate so long as their jobs are secure and that can maintain their payments on the house, SUV or whatever.
I wasn’t going to mention the example but I shall. Just how did the BoR prevent the abuses of the NSA that Snowden identified? Ditto, incidentally for Microsoft. What would be the result if FB was comprehensively investigated by the FBI? In the latter case it isn’t going to happen because the aggregation of data, in one place, is in the interest of the FBI.
One of the things that distinguishes our military forces from police forces is that military forces are not used against Australian citizens. The government has already put through legislation allowing troops to be used against us. Now it wants the seriously scary spooks in the ASD to be able to spy on us.
These are precisely the two factors leading to the possibility of a dictatorship. Widespread spying and military force.
The military should never be used against its own citizens. Either for spying or armed control.
Do you remember the goons hired by Patrick’s to break the dock strike? ADF trained and kitted.
Yes, I do remember. It was a disgrace. But still technically not ADF. More like brownshirts…….
You could at least get his name right. It’s Nick Warner not Rick!
Nick’s daddy – Denis a churnalist of some decorated repute for services rendered to the Crown et al, just another cog in the wheel.
Remember the infamous raid on ASIO’s headquarters during the Whitlam years? Good old Denis doing what we’ve seen in the Michaelia Whiteboard Cash AFP raid. History repeats.
”He [Denis] called the chief of staff’s office at The Melbourne Herald very early one morning in the 1970s.
Journalist Ken Davis answered the phone and was told: ”Reliable source – Lionel Murphy is about to raid the ASIO offices in St Kilda Road. You have been alerted.””
“Sensible discussion” – fine. But as judged by Spud Dutton with his taste for sensibility? First step in any sensible intercourse would be to bar him for a start?
As far as I can tell, they need these powers to allow the likes of Morrison, Pezzullo, Dutton et al play God – or some other omnipotent, infallible being – against the masses, while masquerading as for?
This government is at war with our democracy – they just haven’t declared it.
And self interest came first when people elected LNP for another term !
Lies were used. Like Boris bus. So … yeah, self interest… but people were manipulated badly, vote was not based on actual facts of their position but fear of “death tax/ land tax” in QLD. Possibly Nothing to do with Adani, even. Remember how much manipulation we’ve been subjected to before losing faith in people. Because those inisiting on ultrasurveillance are bonding people to them with the same sorts of cynicism about people. I truly believe most people want to do the right thing, allow others to flourish, look after eachother .. it is in our DNA
A sensible discussion must also involve the idea of breaking up the Home Affairs portfolio into its constituent departments.
Chances phat, Wayne. Will not happen.
If you’d like an idea of how this is all ‘trending’, hop on over to consortiumnews (with a .com, he said trying to avoid disappearing into moderation).
There you will find an article by Melbourne’s own ‘rogue’ journalist, Caitlin Johnstone.
It’s headed and sub-headed;
“The Danger of Leaving a President Out of the Loop”
“Donald Trump was kept in the dark about a possible U.S. nuclear response to a Russian cyber-weapon attack. The U.S. has now ramped up offensive cyber-warfare against Russia’s power grid, putting Trump in a deep bind”
Melbourne’s own is reflecting on yet another anonymously sourced ‘drop’ in the NYT’s.
Yes, the lunatics have taken over the asylum.
So much for the ‘Supreme Commander’ being an elected civilian.
Democracy? Pfft!