PM’s cabinet secretary to be top spook

Scott Morrison has appointed his cabinet secretary, Andrew Shearer, as director-general of the Office of National Intelligence.

Former prime minister John Howard, left, with Andrew Shearer, in Canberra.

Scott Morrison has appointed his cabinet secretary, Andrew Shearer, to head the nation’s intelligence community as the next director-general of the Office of National Intelligence.

Mr Shearer, a former national security adviser to John Howard and Tony Abbott, will take up the five-year post in December.

Outgoing Finance Minister Mathias Cormann’s chief of staff, Chris Browne, is tipped as Mr Shearer’s likely replacement as cabinet secretary.

Mr Shearer, a former deputy-director of ONI’s predecessor agency the Office of National Assessments, was widely expected to take the key intelligence management post.

The Prime Minister said Mr Shearer brought immense experience to the role.

“Mr Shearer has served Australia and its national interests domestically and overseas through a long and distinguished career in national security and intelligence,” Mr Morrison said on Thursday.

Andrew Shearer.

“Since 2019, Mr Shearer has served as cabinet secretary to the commonwealth government and worked through an unprecedented time in Australia’s history.

“In this role, he has helped establish the national cabinet, made up of the nation’s first ministers — the Prime Minister, premiers and territory leaders — to co-ordinate and deliver a robust and consistent national response to COVID-19.

“This whole-of-government approach has, and continues to, deliver outcomes for all Australians. I thank Mr Shearer for his service as cabinet secretary.”

His appointment is backed by Labor figures including former ALP leader Bill Shorten. When asked how he found dealing with Mr Shearer while serving as Labor leader, Mr shorten said, “I always found him completely professional to deal with”.

Mr Shearer has also served as a senior diplomat at the Australian embassy in Washington, held a range of positions in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and was senior adviser on Asia-Pacific security at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

Labor MP Anthony Byrne, the deputy chair of parliament’s intelligence and security committee, is close to Mr Shearer and has told ALP colleagues he would support his appointment.

Victorian right-wing Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching is also believed to be strongly supportive of Mr Shearer’s appointment.

Mr Shearer will replace Nick Warner, who is retiring after a four-decade career in intelligence and diplomacy.

He will take up the post at a time of unprecedented threat to Australia from foreign interference and espionage.

ASIO director-general Mike Burgess, whose agency is part of the ONI-managed national intelligence community, warned last week that politicians at all levels were at risk of falling victim to foreign operatives.

Mr Burgess has also warned there are more foreign spies and proxies operating in Australia than at any time since the Cold War.