Today the Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee tabled its review of the administration and expenditure of Australian intelligence agencies for the 2017 18 financial year, fulfilling one of its key statutory oversight responsibilities.

Media release issue date: Wednesday, 5 February 2020

Today the Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee tabled its review of the administration and expenditure of Australian intelligence agencies for the 2017 18 financial year, fulfilling one of its key statutory oversight responsibilities. The Committee found that the Office of National Intelligence, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the Australia Secret Intelligence Services, the Australian Signals Directorate, the Australian Geospatial-Intelligence organisation and the Defence Intelligence Organisation are managing their administration and expenditure appropriately. It recommended that the Australian Government ensure that the Office of National Intelligence is adequately resourced to facilitate national intelligence community-wide learning and development programs. Committee Chair Andrew Hastie noted that the Office of National Intelligence’s mandate to manage the national intelligence community includes a responsibility to mature whole-of-community approaches to strategic workforce capability and development. ‘National intelligence community-wide training and development programs have the potential to increase connections between intelligence agencies, enhance staff mobility and deliver cost efficiencies.’ The Committee also recommended that the Australian Government review the application of the efficiency dividend to the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the Australian Secret Intelligence Service and the Office of National Intelligence with a view to safeguarding their operational budgets. Further information on the inquiry and a copy of the report can be obtained from the Committee’s website. Media inquiries: Mr Andrew Hastie MP, Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security 08 9534 8044 (Electorate office) 02 6277 4223 (Parliament House) For background information: Committee Secretariat, Parliamentary Joint Committee on intelligence and Security (02) 6277 2360 pjcis@aph.gov.au