Intelligence services key in the defence against tyranny

Vital as they are for our defences, frigates, submarines and missiles are not the only determinants of our national security. They can offer little protection against grey-zone warfare, the insidious growing push by hostile powers to undermine Australia’s national sovereignty from within.

Director-general of security Mike Burgess gave a striking and deeply troubling example in his annual threat assessment on Wednesday. ASIO had recently disrupted a foreign interference plot in the lead-up to an election in Australia, Mr Burgess said. He did not reveal which election, or the country involved. But it is possibly the upcoming federal election. The country would be a sophisticated, well-resourced espionage player such as China or Russia. Mr Burgess revealed such attempts were being detected at all levels of government, in all states and territories. Several countries were seeking to conduct espionage against Australia, he said, seeking information about the nation’s strategic capabilities, economic and policy priorities, research and development, and defence technologies. The threat was pervasive and, if left unchecked, could damage Australia’s sovereignty, values and national interest. The capabilities and decision-making around AUKUS (the security pact between Australia, Britain and the US) would be a target, he indicated. Foreign intelligence agencies will have already added them to their collection requirements, just as ASIO was already working to thwart them: “That should surprise no one; it’s one of the reasons I’m flagging a more proactive approach to our security advice and engagement.’’

In the case of the foreign interference election plot, it was disturbing to learn that a wealthy Australian – whom Mr Burgess called the “puppeteer” – hired a person to carry out the operations and identify candidates who supported the interests of the foreign government or who were open to inducements. While the “puppeteer” pulled the strings, using an offshore bank account to provide hundreds of thousands of dollars for expenses, the foreign power called the shots. The plot was thwarted. While not downplaying terrorism, Mr Burgess revealed it had been supplanted by espionage and foreign interference as ASIO’s main security concern. It was demanding more attention and resources.

Mr Burgess also identified the harassment of Australia’s diaspora communities by foreign governments as a problem, especially if community members were critics of the foreign government or expressed views at odds with their regime’s policies. As he said: “It’s unacceptable that people who live in your street and mine might be subjected to the strong arm and long arm of a foreign state.”

Both Russia and China, the major threats to world peace, stability and the rule of law internationally, have mastered the art of grey-zone conflict. In Australia this has been most evident in the operation of Beijing’s Thousand Talents Plan, which involved recruiting scientists and academics to work secretly for China, especially in areas related to military technology. The university-based Confucius Institutes, backed by Beijing, also were suspected of operating as propaganda outlets for China. The Morrison government’s foreign interference laws, to ensure arrangements that states, territories, councils and universities have with foreign governments are consistent with Australian foreign policy, have been an important tool for dealing with such conflicts of interest.

Democratic nations, including Australia, are responding to the intrusions and threats by working together for the sake of their own sovereignty. That is why this week’s meeting in Melbourne of the foreign ministers of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Australia, the US, Japan and India) is so significant. Intelligence and counter -intelligence are high priorities of the Quad.

As Greg Sheridan wrote in December, the Quad has established a formal intelligence ­dialogue involving the top echelons of each ­nation’s intelligence establishment, called the Quadrilateral Strategic Intelligence Forum. It is a significant new pillar in the defence of freedom in the Asia-Pacific, in addition to the Five Eyes group (Australia, the US, Britain, Canada and New Zealand).

The Quad meeting and Mr Burgess’s annual threat assessment are timely, coming just a week after Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed unprecedented co-operation, backing each other over stand-offs on Ukraine and Taiwan, with a promise to collaborate more against the West. As Foreign Minister Marise Payne says, the “no limits” authoritarian partnership “sets out a vision of the global order that is at odds with that of Australia and that of our allies and partners”. That daunting challenge needs to be met resolutely with a strong economy to fund the most effective and appropriate defence equipment for the nation’s needs and through the best use of intelligence services and sophisticated technology.