The Federal government last week announced the establishment of a single centralised agency for Commonwealth security checks. The Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA), to be managed by the Department of Defence, is meant to streamline the process of security clearances for public servants and for government contractors. It will be recognised across government.
Attorney-General Robert McClelland said the AGSVA will be supported by a new Personnel Security Protocol which sets out the practices and procedures that all Government agencies should follow.
The lengthy delays in obtaining security clearances, particularly for defence contractors, have long been an issue. Do you think this is going to speed things up?
I think this should be viewed as a positive step providing it is properly resourced.
I think it is another step towards breaking down of civil rights all in the name of the WOT. the shallow perception that it will speed up the approval times for defence contractors is a little…strange. Why have a commonwealth department responsible, they have never been the shining stars of efficiency themselves.
Look closer, it it a move by the government to get a closer look at everyone. And managed by the DOD, that is just plain scary.
The new AGSVA has the potential to cut down on a lot of time, money and duplication between all the government agencies that require clearances.
One of the main gripes brought up by Defence and Security industry companies alike is the time it takes to get clearances done for their workforce. Even a ‘rush job’ can take months, or even the better part of a year, for top level clearances. Anything that will help speed that process is heartily welcomed.
The only concern is that is it properly funded and resourced on a whole of government basis. If Defence is asked to foot the bill for the lot, it could create more issues that it solves. That being said, I have high hopes for AGSVA.