Mr BYRNE (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister) (6:44 PM) —I will deal with the issue of strategic policy first and then move on to the issue of the Office of National Security. The question I think that the honourable member asked was: what is the role of the strategic policy unit? The unit will provide advice of a forward-looking strategic nature to the Prime Minister and the government. The unit will oversight and manage project teams engaged in strategic policy development and setting strategic directions. Teams will be variously comprised of staff from the unit, policy divisions and other agencies and external sources such as academics and members of the business and community sectors.

It is expected that the unit will also assist the government to set the strategic policy agenda through sectoral scans to identify needs in areas of future policy development. The unit will form a knowledge hub in relation to strategic thinking and policy development and, in time, disseminate information on strategic thinking within PM&C and the broader Australian Public Service. In full operation, the unit will require about 30 or 40 staff, comprising a core staffing of roughly 20 officers and others drawn—

Honourable members interjecting—

Mr BYRNE —This from an opposition that used a government advertising unit—I think it was—comprised of seven people that, on my figures, spent something close to $1.8 billion. You talk about accountability. You are the group of people who should least be talking about accountability within this department given how you ruthlessly used that to spend $1.8 billion of taxpayers’ money without accountability.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Hon. BC Scott)—Will the parliamentary secretary refer to members via their seat because, when you refer to ‘you’, you are referring to me.

Mr BYRNE —My apologies, Mr Deputy Speaker.

Mr Pyne —How disrespectful.

Mr BYRNE —I am never disrespectful to you, Member for Sturt—not intentionally anyway.

The unit will be sufficiently well resourced to retain external expertise from both government and non-government sources. The final budget of the unit has not been determined. Between now and July 2008 the department is conducting a business planning and budgeting process to determine the final budget. The PM&C will receive $9.925 million in 2008-09 for this budget measure. The department has conducted a diagnostic audit of the department which will inform the allocation of this funding. The final allocation will be determined following the business planning and budgeting cycle, which is currently underway. I expect the majority of the funding to be used in the set-up, establishment and operation of the strategic policy unit. However, funding will also be used in a targeted way to boost the strategic policy capability of some other areas of the department.

The initial work of the unit has not been determined. The program will be determined in consultation with the Prime Minister. The department has advertised several positions within the unit, including the position of head of strategic policy and implementation, which is the position at deputy secretary level. The department has recruited Mr Simon Miller in an ongoing capacity at the first assistant secretary level to fill the role of executive director of the unit for six months. Mr Miller will have day-to-day management responsibility for the unit, including its establishment. Mr Miller has held various positions within the New South Wales state government, including lead adviser to the Premier and the Treasurer on fiscal policy and deputy director-general of the New South Wales Department of Water and Energy. Recently, Mr Miller has worked with a management consultancy firm.

The member for Isaacs has asked me about the Office of National Security.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop —Did he? He made a statement.

Mr BYRNE —Yes, he did actually. It was a very good question.

Opposition member interjecting—

Mr BYRNE —Well, he is on the intelligence and security committee, which is actually quite an important committee in the parliament.

Mr Lindsay —What about my question?

Mr BYRNE —We will deal with your questions when we can.

Its role is to develop, to provide advice on, to coordinate and to integrate comprehensive whole-of-government national security policy and to provide strategic oversight in its implementation. This includes liaison with relevant departments and agencies at all levels of government; coordination and integration of national security policy; coordination of national security advice to the Prime Minister and to the NSC; oversight of the whole-of-government implementation of the government’s national security policy; and an increase of focus and insight on emerging issues that may impact on national security.

A key priority of the Office of National Security is to develop the National Security Statement, to outline a holistic approach to national security. The role of the ONS may further evolve following the implementation of any government response to the Homeland and Border Security Review. The ONS builds on the previous National Security Division, which was created by the Howard government. ONS retains all the roles of the National Security Division while increasing its focus on emerging national security challenges, including international security stabilisation and capacity-building operations in fragile and failed states; economic, resources and trade security; impacts of climate change and environmental issues; and security. (Time expired)