Counter terrorism measures to receive $64m in funding: Tony Abbott

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has announced a $64 million investment by the government in counter terrorism measures with more than $13 million going towards preventing homegrown terrorists.

23/8/2014 Prime Minister Tony Abbott Speaks at the South Australian Liberal AGM At The Ellington Building at Hackney .....PHOTO DAVE CRONIN

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has announced a $64 million investment by the government in counter terrorism measures with more than $13 million going towards preventing homegrown terrorists.

Speaking at the Peter MacCallum cancer centre in Melbourne, the Prime Minister said terrorism was “a problem for us” and the “medieval barbarism” being carried out in Iraq could not be ignored by Australians.

“There are at least 60 Australians fighting with the ISIL movement in Iraq and Syria,” he said.

“This is a movement of utter ferocity.

“Because of the Australians that are involved ... what might otherwise be a problem in a far away country is a problem for us.”

The Prime Minister announced more than $13 million would be allocated to community management programs to prevent young Australians from being seduced into joining extremist groups.

More than $11 million would be spent on creating Australian Federal Police investigation teams aimed at stopping extremists from leaving Australia to fight for terror outfits.

Mr Abbott said the $64m funding package would “counter violent extremism and radicalisation”.

The Prime Minister said the government was ready to assist humanitarian efforts to ease the suffering in northern Iraq.