Border security upgrade under the microscope
National Affairs Editor, Ernie Davitt looks at the possibilities of the Rudd Government making budget cutbacks in border security.
The much-vaunted upgrade of border security – including setting up a new Coastguard organisation, could become victim of ‘thinning’ of the Australian public service.
The new Australian Government, which had already directed departments and agencies to cut costs in administration and programs by 1.5 per cent across-the-board as part of its strategy to reign in spending to try to put a brake on inflation, now wants to go even further.
Many economists, including Access Economics’ Chris Richardson, say the proposed cuts – approaching $20 billion – while they will help reign in rising inflation, do not go far enough.
The spin doctors have been at work to ensure that the razor gang image of similar approaches in the past is softened by use of euphemisms such as ‘thinning’.
But while the new administration has directed its Expenditure Review Committee to meet year-round, it has remained tight-lipped about its intentions in the area of (non-defence) national security.
The inquiry set up by the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd into the future of a Homeland Security Department is due to report by the middle of the year and at last advice was on schedule. The answers to many questions surrounding the issue will not be known until the Government considers the report.
Pre-election, Labor had described existing border security arrangements, particularly in the maritime sphere, as ‘fractured and inefficient’.
It said existing Customs arrangements lacked the necessary legislative powers to do anything other than gather information.
What Australia needed, Labor argued, was a Coastguard which it described as a maritime ‘cop on the beat’ 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The counter argument was that, for a country with a small population, Australia’s existing arrangements provide a reasonably good return on investment for the taxpayer.
This is certainly the argument being advanced by many of the key players in the border security agencies and for good reason. But that is not to say some change would not lead to improvement.
With the threat of rising inflation and reduced economic growth, the new Government does not seem keen to go ahead with the financial investment involved in setting up new departments, wider functions and capital outlays in areas such as new vessels and aircraft.
It would not surprise though, to see Customs officers given stronger ‘constabulary’ powers. We have already seen the number of armed Customs officers around Australia increased from several hundred to over 1000 in the last couple of years.
Among other recent initiatives to boost border security are:
* introduction from 1 January of mandatory arrangements for foreign sea crew who travel to Australia on commercial vessels to hold a Maritime Crew visa. About 130, 000 foreign crew travel to Australia each year by sea, about 90 per cent as crew of cargo ships and 10 per cent as crew of cruise ships
* over $55m worth of new IT systems were purchased to enable the application process to go ahead
* from 1 January this year new mandatory minimum training standards applied for people to be designated as ship security officers (SSOs)
* the Government is still working on introducing a proposed ship reporting system for foreign vessels entering Australian waters, known as the Australian Maritime Information System (AMIS). Border Protection Command was allocated almost $80m for the system so it could detect and respond to all vessels entering or operating in Australia’s maritime region
* the funding also allowed for employment of 19 additional regional seaports officers to help industry with the new crew visa, conduct vessel boardings and manage compliance and employ additional staff in the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s Entry Operations Centre to support the shipping industry.
Customs got an additional $39.5m for 66 new Customs officers to enforce the new provisions as part of Customs’ vessel clearance process and ASIO got $5.5m under the package for security vetting of ship visa applicants.
The upgrade of border security at Australia’s major gateway airports is progressing as the Government spends the $151.4m allocated over the next four years to develop purpose-built police accommodation, operational and training facilities and cater for the permanent posting of police and security personnel under the unified policing model.
The Department of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Services is progressing with introduction of an accreditation scheme for operators of land transport, such as trucking companies, which carry air cargo.
The new scheme complements the existing regulated air cargo agent scheme, which applies to freight forwarders and cargo terminal operators.
ASM put a series of questions to various ministers about the issue of a new Homeland Security Department and Coastguard.
A Government spokesman said: “The Prime Minister has announced a Homeland Security Review and is currently considering its terms of reference.”
A spokesman for Home Affairs Minister, Bob Debus said :
“The Government is in the process of finalising who will conduct the review and the terms of reference and will be making an announcement shortly.
“The review will include the Coastguard proposal and we’re still on target to have the report completed by the middle of the year, as promised.
“We will be taking submissions from all the relevant agencies of which there are many.
“The Minister agrees with the Prime Minister’s comments when he announced the review, that it was right to be prudent and cautious and a review was the right way to go.”