Bill Shorten rejects Paul Keating’s call for a clear-out of ‘nutter’ national security agency chiefs

Bill Shorten has rejected Paul Keating’s call for a clear-out of “nutter” security agency chiefs.

Former Prime Minister Paul Keating congratulates Bill Shorten at the Labor Party campaign launch in Brisbane yesterday.

Bill Shorten has rejected Paul Keating’s call for a clear-out of the “nutter” chiefs of Australia’s national security agencies in order to repair relations with China.

“I don’t share those concerns. Paul Keating is an elder statesman of Australian politics, he’s never been shy of saying what he thinks,” the Labor leader said in western Sydney today.

“For myself and for my Opposition team, we have worked very well with our security agencies. They know that and we know that. And we will continue to take the professional advice of the people who keep Australians safe.

“I don’t share that view, I do not share that view.”

In remarks condemned as “unhinged” by Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s executive director Peter Jennings, Mr Keating said yesterday that security agencies such as ASIO had “lost their strategic bearings” when it came to China.

Mr Keating, who was honoured alongside Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard at Bill Shorten’s campaign launch yesterday, said Labor would make a “huge shift” in Australia’s relationship with China by “merely making the point that China’s ­entitled to be there”.

“When the security agencies are running foreign policy, the nutters are in charge,” Mr Keating said. “You’d clean them out. They’ve lost their strategic bearings, these organisations.”

Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek also ruled out a shake-up of Australia’s security agencies. “People love Paul Keating for his colourful language,” she told ABC radio. “We have a very good relationship with Australia’s security agencies.”

She said Mr Keating did not run Labor policy, noting the opposition valued regular briefings it receives from agencies. “Paul Keating is right to say that China is an absolutely vital economic partner for Australia and we have to have a good relationship with China,” Ms Plibersek said.

“I think it’s important for any government or potential government to heed the information we get from our security agencies.”

Peter Dutton, right, has taken on Paul Keating, left, over his comments that “nutters’’ are running the nation's security agencies.

Earlier, Peter Dutton said Australians should be concerned at Mr Keating’s call for Mr Shorten, who is yet to name who would take the crucial home affairs ministry in government, to unpick Australia’s national security apparatus “which has disrupted 15 major terrorist attack plots since September 2014”.

“Has Mr Keating advocated the abolition of the Department of Home Affairs and is this the reason Mr Shorten refuses to nominate who would be Minister in a Shorten Government?

“Australians also have a right to know who would replace existing personnel in key security and intelligence roles.”

Mr Shorten has again today refused to name a Home Affairs Minister, and ruled out putting up one of his frontbenchers to take on Peter Dutton in a national security election debate.

“We will have a Home Affairs department but we will finalise our line up when we know who is elected and who isn’t,” he said.

“Peter Dutton had a debate with (Labor Dickson candidate) Ali France and that didn’t go so well, did it?

“Peter Dutton doesn’t decide my ministerial line-up.”

Mr Dutton said the Coalition Government has increased funding of law enforcement, intelligence and security agencies by more than $2.2 billion since August 2014.

The Coalition also announced additional funding of $512 million in the 2019-20 Budget to detect, deter and disrupt terror threats and transnational crime.

“It is time Bill Shorten outlined his vision for the national security of our nation, and explained his plan to ensure our security agencies are well resourced,” Mr Dutton said.

Mr Jennings said Mr Keating’s comments could not be taken seriously. “It’s inaccurate and insulting,” he said. “No one in the intelligence community doubts China is an immensely powerful strategic factor in our society.

“But unlike a lot of people, they aren’t denying the reality of what we actually see, which is that China is arming itself at a frightening pace, it is becoming increasingly repressive, the Communist Party is returning to its Leninist ­origins, and this does present a massive problem