Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security
Encyclopedia
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) is the body responsible for oversight on Australia
's six main intelligence agencies: the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
, the Australian Secret Intelligence Service
the Defence Signals Directorate
, the Defence Intelligence Organisation
, the Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation
and the Office of National Assessments
.
to replace the former Parliamentary Joint Committee on ASIO (which was established in 1988) and the Joint Select Committee on the Intelligence Services. On 2 December 2005, the Committee changed its name to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS). The PJCIS's purview was expanded by the Government to include DIO, DIGO and ONA following the recommendations of the independent Flood Inquiry in July 2004.
The Committee comprises nine members: four from the Senate
and five from the House of Representatives
. Five members are from the Government
(the Australian Labor Party
) and four from the Opposition
(the Liberal
and National
parties).
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's six main intelligence agencies: the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation is Australia's national security service, which is responsible for the protection of the country and its citizens from espionage, sabotage, acts of foreign interference, politically-motivated violence, attacks on the Australian defence system, and...
, the Australian Secret Intelligence Service
Australian Secret Intelligence Service
The Australian Secret Intelligence Service is the Australian government intelligence agency responsible for collecting foreign intelligence, undertaking counter-intelligence activities and cooperation with other intelligence agencies overseas...
the Defence Signals Directorate
Defence Signals Directorate
Defence Signals Directorate is an Australian government intelligence agency responsible for signals intelligence and information security .-Overview:According to its website, DSD has two principal functions:...
, the Defence Intelligence Organisation
Defence Intelligence Organisation
The Defence Intelligence Organisation is an Australian government intelligence agency responsible for assessing intelligence obtained from or provided by other Australian and foreign intelligence agencies, supporting Defence and Government decision-making and the planning and conduct of Australian...
, the Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation
Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation
The Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation is an Australian government intelligence agency responsible for the tasking , exploitation , and dissemination of geospatial intelligence...
and the Office of National Assessments
Office of National Assessments
The Office of National Assessments is an Australian intelligence agency. ONA was established by the Office of National Assessments Act 1977 as an independent body directly accountable to the Prime Minister of Australia...
.
History
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on ASIO, ASIS and DSD was appointed in March 2002 under the Intelligence Services Act 2001Intelligence Services Act 2001
The Intelligence Services Act 2001 is an act of the Parliament of Australia, which was passed on 29 September 2001 and came into effect on 29 October 2001.The ISA introduced three main reforms:...
to replace the former Parliamentary Joint Committee on ASIO (which was established in 1988) and the Joint Select Committee on the Intelligence Services. On 2 December 2005, the Committee changed its name to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS). The PJCIS's purview was expanded by the Government to include DIO, DIGO and ONA following the recommendations of the independent Flood Inquiry in July 2004.
Function and structure
The PJCIS's main function is administrative and expenditure review and oversight of ASIO, ASIS and DSD. The Committee can also review matters relating to the three agencies referred to them by Parliamentary Resolution, or by a request from the Minister responsible for the agency in question. The Committee does not review intelligence gathering or operational procedures or priorities, nor does it conduct inquiries into individual complaints about the activities of ASIO, ASIS or DSD.The Committee comprises nine members: four from the Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
and five from the House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
. Five members are from the Government
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
(the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
) and four from the Opposition
Opposition (Australia)
Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition in Australia fulfils the same function as the official opposition in other Commonwealth of Nations monarchies. It is seen as the alternative government and the existing administration's main opponent at a general election...
(the Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
and National
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
parties).
Committee members (as at 25 June 2009)
- The Hon Arch BevisArch BevisArchibald Ronald "Arch" Bevis is an Australian politician who was a Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1990 to 2010, representing the Division of Brisbane, Queensland. He was born in Brisbane, and educated at Ithaca Creek State Primary School and The Gap State High School...
, MP (Chair) (ALP) - The Hon Philip RuddockPhilip RuddockPhilip Maxwell Ruddock is an Australian politician who is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the Division of Berowra, New South Wales, for the Liberal Party of Australia...
, MP (Deputy Chair) (Liberal) - Senator Gavin MarshallGavin MarshallGavin Mark Marshall , Australian politician, has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian Senate since July 2002, representing the state of Victoria....
(ALP) - Senator Michael ForshawMichael ForshawMichael George Forshaw , Australian politician, was a member of the Australian Senate for the state of New South Wales from May 1994 to June 2011, representing the Australian Labor Party....
(ALP) - Senator Russell TroodRussell TroodDr Russell Brunell Trood was a Liberal Party Senator for the state of Queensland, Australia. His surprise election as the third Liberal from Queensland in the 2004 Federal Election, along with 38 other Coalition Senators gave the federal government of John Howard a majority in the Senate and thus...
(Liberal) - Senator Julian McGauranJulian McGauranJulian McGauran , Australian politician, was a member of the Australian Senate, representing the state of Victoria. Elected as a member of the National Party, he resigned from the Nationals and joined the Liberal Party of Australia in February 2006...
(Liberal) - Mr Mark DreyfusMark DreyfusMark Alfred Dreyfus QC , Australian lawyer and politician, is the Australian Labor Party member for the House of Representatives seat of Isaacs, Victoria. He was elected in the 2007 federal election.- Early life :...
QC, MP (ALP) - Mr Daryl MelhamDaryl MelhamDaryl Melham , Australian politician, has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1990, representing the Division of Banks, New South Wales. He was born in Sydney, New South Wales, to a family of Lebanese descent and studied Law and Economics at...
, MP (ALP) - Mrs Kay HullKay HullKay Elizabeth Hull , Australian politician, was a National Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from October 1998 to July 2010, representing the Division of Riverina, New South Wales.-Personal life:...
, MP (National)
Intelligence agencies
- Australian Security Intelligence OrganisationAustralian Security Intelligence OrganisationThe Australian Security Intelligence Organisation is Australia's national security service, which is responsible for the protection of the country and its citizens from espionage, sabotage, acts of foreign interference, politically-motivated violence, attacks on the Australian defence system, and...
- Australian Secret Intelligence ServiceAustralian Secret Intelligence ServiceThe Australian Secret Intelligence Service is the Australian government intelligence agency responsible for collecting foreign intelligence, undertaking counter-intelligence activities and cooperation with other intelligence agencies overseas...
- Defence Signals DirectorateDefence Signals DirectorateDefence Signals Directorate is an Australian government intelligence agency responsible for signals intelligence and information security .-Overview:According to its website, DSD has two principal functions:...
- Defence Intelligence OrganisationDefence Intelligence OrganisationThe Defence Intelligence Organisation is an Australian government intelligence agency responsible for assessing intelligence obtained from or provided by other Australian and foreign intelligence agencies, supporting Defence and Government decision-making and the planning and conduct of Australian...
- Defence Imagery and Geospatial OrganisationDefence Imagery and Geospatial OrganisationThe Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation is an Australian government intelligence agency responsible for the tasking , exploitation , and dissemination of geospatial intelligence...
- Office of National AssessmentsOffice of National AssessmentsThe Office of National Assessments is an Australian intelligence agency. ONA was established by the Office of National Assessments Act 1977 as an independent body directly accountable to the Prime Minister of Australia...