Subjects: Home Affairs; Cabinet reshuffle.

E&EO…………………………………………………………………………………………..

CHRIS UHLMANN:

Mr Dutton joins me now. Mr Dutton congratulations on the promotion, but why do we need to shake up agencies that already work well together.

PETER DUTTON:  

Good morning Chris.

It is important because, as we saw yesterday, the 81st person since 2014 has been charged with a terror-related offence and we're doing all that we can to make sure that the agencies are working even more effectively together to give it that strategic direction. Obviously it brings in the intelligence and law enforcement, as well as the border agencies – so incredibly important for them to be working as closely together as possible – and we have also had a look at what's worked and what hasn't worked around the world, including in the United Kingdom and United States.

I think we give ourselves the best chance of trying to deal with the modern reality of counter-terrorism activities that the policing and intelligence agencies are involved in, staring down the threat of espionage, dealing with incursions across our borders.

There is a lot of work to undertake in the new portfolio.

CHRIS UHLMANN:

And we've been reporting on the first arrest this morning as someone charged under those foreign fighter laws and you fought for those. What can you tell us about that?

PETER DUTTON:  

He is a 25-year-old Sydney man and obviously this is a long run investigation. There is an offence that we created for people travelling into the war zone, into a prescribed area and if people went there without a legitimate excuse, if that was the allegation, then there was obviously a penalty to pay and that man has been brought now before the courts and the police will allege that he has breached that section of the Act.

We are dealing with people coming back from overseas having fought for ISIL and involved in the war there for a long period of time. So there is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to keep Australians safe and the whole idea of this portfolio is that we can keep that work going.

CHRIS UHLMANN:

I know you are concerned not just about people returning to Australia, but about these foreign fighters returning from places overseas to places like Indonesia where Australians holiday. How big a concern is that?

PETER DUTTON:  

Well it's certainly a big concern to places like Indonesia, the Philippines and we're doing a lot of work with those countries and others within our region because we are concerned about the skills that those people bring back with them.

The fact that nightclubs, hotels, all sorts of venues where people are gathering become targets. We work closely with our international partners. We'll do that within the Home Affairs portfolio as well because we want to keep Australians safe here, but safe whilst they are holidaying or travelling overseas as well.

CHRIS UHLMANN:

And we are seeing big events coming up like the Boxing Day Test. How confident are you that we have hardened those places where a lot of Australians will gather?

PETER DUTTON:  

Oh look, I'm very confident. I mean in that case, the Victorian Police, but all of the policing services around the country, as well as the Federal Police obviously. There has been a lot of work done with venues around trying to provide whatever security is possible and necessary, but in the end, it is difficult to guard every place of mass gathering around the country. Again, it is just a plea for people that have any information within their community, within their family, within their workplace, to contact the police and provide that information because we have seen now 14 possible attacks that have been thwarted by agencies over the last few years and that success has been possible at least in part because of the contribution, the information that some members of the public provide.

So again, we want to keep Australians safe over this Christmas-new year period.

CHRIS UHLMANN:

We have seen a Cabinet reshuffle. What message does it send when you

dump someone like Darren Chester who had done a very good job in his portfolio.

PETER DUTTON:  

I think it sends a message that politics is a rough and tumble business and in Cabinet reshuffles there are always people who miss out that should have got there. There is a lot of talent on the backbench of both the Liberal Party and the National Party, but ultimately Malcolm Turnbull – and in that case Barnaby Joyce – have made tough decisions and we have put the best team forward that we think can prosecute a very important message about keeping Australians safe, about making sure that we can cut their energy prices wherever possible, and making sure that we run a strong economy because if we do that, the jobs will grow, there will be more money in people's pockets, and that's what the Federal Government is responsible for. So I think that's what's been provided for in this reshuffle.

CHRIS UHLMANN:

President Donald Trump has released his national security strategy. He names now China as a strategic competitor. Are you concerned Australia is going to get pinioned between its major trading partner in China and its chief ally in the United States?

PETER DUTTON:  

Well Chris I think for Australia we do what's in our interest obviously. We have an important trading relationship with China. There is a lot of work that we do within the border protection space, within the law enforcement space as well. We are worried about product coming out of Hong Kong, illicit drugs, and other contraband items coming out of mainland China otherwise. So there is a lot of work that we do at an official's level and I hope to travel to China in the first half of next year. But equally, our most important security partner is the United States and it is one of our Five Eyes partners. We rely a lot on the United States. We provide a lot of support to the United States and the UK, Canada and New Zealand as well.

So we need to always keep our country safe, but at the same time we can still have a very effective trading relationship with China and on those important issues otherwise where we can work together.

CHRIS UHLMANN:

Well Peter Dutton, thank you and Merry Christmas.

PETER DUTTON:  

Thanks Chris and to you too. You look a bit too happy to be away from Canberra I might say mate, but Merry Christmas.

CHRIS UHLMANN:

Well look you know, a break is as good as a holiday Peter Dutton. I hope you get one.

[ends]