Budget: Coalition’s $87m pledge to track the terrorists

Convicted terrorists will face unprecedented tracking and supervision when they are freed from prison under an $87m budget boost.

The new measures follow ASIO warnings over the risk posed by the imminent release of 18 post-September 11 terrorists, who are approaching release from prison.

Convicted terrorists will face unprecedented tracking and supervision when they are freed from prison under an $87m budget boost, as national security officials prepare for the release of more than a dozen hardcore terrorists in the next four years.

The Morrison government commitment, to be unveiled in next week’s federal budget, ­includes about $20m for a new convicted terrorist register and $67m to fund an extended supervision scheme for high-risk terrorist offenders.

The measures follow ASIO warnings over the risk posed by the imminent release of 18 post-September 11 terrorists, who are approaching release from prison.

Those coming up for release include self-proclaimed religious sheik Abdul Nacer Benbrika, who was convicted in 2005 for plotting terrorist attacks on major Australian cities, and schizophrenic terrorist offender Blake Pender, who threatened to behead police and murder a magistrate.

Both had their custodial sentences extended beyond their original terms, but are due to be freed later this year.

The budget commitment comes as the government frames the upcoming federal election as a test of the parties’ national security credentials.

State and federal counter-terrorism ministers agreed last year to create a national convicted terrorist register, noting released ­offenders could “continue to be radicalised, motivated, and capable of further offending”.

The government also passed laws in December to create ­“extended supervision orders” ­allowing states or territories to enforce strict conditions on terrorist offenders at the end of their sentences.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said convicted terrorists continued to “plot and fanaticise about doing us harm”.

“In 2022, as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic and once more gather in crowds, we cannot be complacent about the terrorist threat,” she said. “The threat of terrorism continues to evolve. Disruption associated with the pandemic has seen the emergence of new conspiratorial narratives, some of which may provide false justification for violent activities.”

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews says convicted terrorists continued to ‘plot and fanaticise about doing us harm’. Picture: Gary Ramage

Since 2014, Australian authorities have charged 144 people in 71 counter-terrorism operations.

“With 18 convicted terrorists due for release into the community within the next four years, we need to do everything we can to ensure our agencies have the tools and resources they need to protect our communities from harm,” Ms Andrews said.

She said the additional funding would give law enforcement agencies “more tools to protect Australians from the threat posed by convicted terrorists who cannot be brought back from the brink”.

“We have seen attacks ­recently in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The Morrison government is committed to doing everything in our power to prevent such a tragedy from ­occurring here,” she said.

There are currently, surprisingly, no commonwealth, state or territory mechanisms to provide for long-term monitoring of terrorist offenders once they are ­released. Ms Andrews said the National Convicted Terrorist ­Offender Register would be designed in co-operation with state and territory authorities.

“Once established, the register will impose long-term reporting obligations on all commonwealth terrorist offenders after the end of their custodial sentences,” she said.

The government now lists 28 terrorist organisations under the Criminal Code, following the listing of all Hamas entities on March 4, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, Hurras al-Din and the National Socialist Order in February, and the entirety of Hizballah and The Base in December 2021.

“Only the Coalition has a strong record and plan to protect our community from terrorism and provide our law enforcement and intelligence agencies with the tools and resources they need to protect our community,” Ms Andrews said.

ASIO director-general Mike Burgess, in his annual threat ­assessment earlier this year, said there had been an increase in radicalisation and specific-issue grievances.

Mr Burgess said Covid-related protests, fuelled by anti-vaccination, anti-lockdown and anti-government agendas, had the potential to disrupt Australian ­society.