At a time when Australia faces its most challenging strategic outlook since World War II, there is no issue more important to Australia’s security than the increased capabilities of our intelligence agencies and the development of a robust national security policy. The challenge Australia faces is defining our national security priorities in today’s globalised world and creating a national security architecture for the 21st century that can enable the Australian Intelligence Communities (AIC) to adequately protect Australia and Australian interests. In order to combat the increasing aspects of asymmetric and transnational threats the Australian Government needed to implement a National Security Policy (NSP) that is effective, adaptable, flexible, easily transferable and suited in the changes for the coming years and the Australian intelligences agencies need to be able to meet these needs. Preserving national security is a fundamental duty of government, and in fact there can be no higher interest. In this essay I will provide the details of the Australian National Security Statement (NSS) outlining our first National Security Policy and summarize the roles and responsibilities of the agencies of the AIC. I will discuss the impact this has upon foreign policy and I will provide an outline how the NSS came about and the key highlights that have led to the reform and restructuring of the NSP. Further I will analyse the NSP across a number of key policy areas such as climate, migration and medical. Finally I will examine if the NSS has produced any better outcomes for the security of all Australians and Australia.
Australia’s First National Security Policy
On the 4th December 2008, The Honorable Kevin Rudd Prime Minister of Au...
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