“The government will appoint a national counter-terrorism coordinator to bring the same drive, focus and results to our counter-terrorism efforts that worked so well to stop the boats in Operation Sovereign Borders,” Mr Abbott will say. It has been suggested such a role could be filled by ASIO chief Duncan Lewis, who has experience as a major-general in the army, as a special forces commander and as ambassador to NATO.
Informed readers can be forgiven for thinking that the above has a strangely familiar ring to it. Kevin Rudd 7 YEARS AGO appointed a National Security Adviser , none other than the same Duncan Lewis, whose job was described in these words::
The Government will appoint a National Security Adviser, Mr Duncan Lewis AO, to provide a new level of leadership, direction and coordination to the national security agencies.
In addition to the appointment of a National Security Adviser, the national security structure will be improved by the creation of a strategic policy framework, a National Intelligence and Coordination Committee and enhancing our national crisis management arrangements. The National Intelligence Coordination Committee will have responsibility for foreign, defence, security and law enforcement intelligence.
Which brings us then to the current National Security Adviser, Andrew Shearer.Obviously , incapable if not unwilling to do his job, he should be sacked.Why else appoint someone else to do exactly the same if not a very similar job,albeit under a different name?
Instead, his position and office remain, even as its functions are taken-over by the new office of National Counter Terrorism Coordinator. However, this being the Peta-Abbott Government , Shearer will remain, his office continue to exist (regardless of the need for spending cuts). All of which makes one wonder if this is all a mere stunt ,meant to disguise the fact that the Lindt Cafe seige was really a failure of intelligence and analysis at the PMO, caused in part by Shearer's inability.
This type of schoolgirl stunt might have achieved its objective in Wycheproof , but out here in the big bad world........
END
PS: Readers are reminded that in addition to the National Security Advisor, there is also a within DFAT an Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism:
On 18 May 2014, Mr Miles Armitage was appointed as Australia's Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism. The Ambassador is responsible for developing and implementing Australia's international counter-terrorism efforts and plays a key role in coordinating policy cooperation, capacity building and operational collaboration between Australian agencies and international counter-terrorism partners.
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