Opposition leader Peter Dutton has appointed senator James Paterson as Shadow Minister for Cyber Security and Countering Foreign Interference last Sunday, marking the former chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security’s first time working as a shadow minister.
“I am honoured to have been appointed as Shadow Minister for Cyber Security and Countering Foreign Interference by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton,” Mr Paterson said in a statement.
Mr Paterson, whose portfolio is now separate from Shadow Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews, has spent the last six years serving on committees, as well as five years with the right-wing lobby group the Institute of Public Affairs.
Prior to this, he also worked at the Victorian Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry and staffed for then Liberal senator Mitch Fifield between 2006 and 2010.
“Cyber attacks and foreign interference are two of the most serious contemporary threats to Australia’s democracy, freedom and sovereignty,” he said.
“It is critical as a nation we now seize the opportunity presented by AUKUS to further enhance our cyber capabilities.”
In light of his appointment, the new Shadow Minister raised concerns about the Labor Government’s move to ‘dismantle’ the Department of Home Affairs as it could lessen the country’s safety against terrorist attacks and foreign interference.
Mr Paterson stated that the dismantling and undermining of the department could also weaken the country’s cyber security, criticising Labor as they did not inform Australians about it prior to the election nor provide their justifications for doing so.
“It is not the Department of Home Affairs as it was,” he told Sky News last Sunday.
“The Home Affairs Department was a very innovative reform by the then Turnbull government. And all of that is being dismantled and undermined.”
The concern was raised after the Labor Government announced the downsizing of the Department of Home Affairs.
While the department will retain its control over the domestic intelligence agency ASIO and national security functions, the downsizing will see to several of its functions, such as the AFP, criminal justice and protective services, transferred to attorney-general Mark Dreyfus.
Responsibility for natural disaster management, including the National Recovery and Resilience Agency, will also be added to the Department of Home Affairs.
“I hope the new Labor government maintains and builds upon our reforms to protect critical infrastructure, combat ransomware, tackle the dark web and criminalise foreign state interference in our democracy,” Mr Paterson said.
“I will work hard every day to hold them to account and ensure they do not cut the record funding or wind back the new powers we provided key national security agencies including the Australian Signals Directorate, ASIO and the Australian Federal Police.”
Other appointments to Dutton’s shadow ministry include former minister Paul Fletcher as Minister for Science, the Digital Economy and Government Services, Senator Sarah Henderson as Shadow Minister for Communications, and deputy opposition leader Susan Ley as Shadow Minister for Industry, Skills and Training.
Source: The Epoch Times. Content has been edited for style and clarity.