The committee recommends that the Australian Government ensure relevant agencies are appropriately resourced to identify and address foreign interference and disinformation activities in Australia, including from Russian actors, and to respond to community and diaspora concerns regarding these activities.
Government Response to Recommendation 9
The Government agrees to this recommendation.
The integrity of Australia’s democratic institutions is a fundamental pillar of our national sovereignty, the protection of which requires a committed and concerted effort from government. Australia has robust and tested frameworks and safeguards in place to protect its democratic institutions at the federal, state and territory, and local level.
For example, the Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce (CFI Taskforce) leads Australia’s operational response to espionage and foreign interference and works to identify, assess, investigate, disrupt, and where possible, prosecute acts of foreign interference and espionage. Operational agencies apply a range of treatment options to disrupt activities of concern, which may involve criminal charges where legal thresholds are met. CFI Taskforce continues to actively investigate threats and allegations of foreign interference in Australian diaspora communities. The AFP has developed a Foreign Interference in the Community Factsheet to support Australian communities understand what foreign interference is, what it may look like and how to report it.
The AFP actively engages with community and humanitarian groups through AFP Community Liaison Teams, to build trusted relationships, establish confidence in law enforcement, and ascertain and understand community sentiment.
Additionally, the Electoral Integrity Assurance Taskforce, supported by the Electoral Integrity Intelligence Forum are constituted by relevant agencies across Federal Government, working together to provide information and advice to the Electoral Commissioner on foreign interference that may compromise the real or perceived integrity of federal electoral events, including elections, referendums and by-elections.
The Government, through the Department of Home Affairs, has developed a holistic approach to engagement on community interference. The Community Interference Cross Agency Engagement Program coordinates engagement with eleven identified at risk communities across the states and territories effected through local plans developed with local stakeholders.
The Program focuses on raising awareness of foreign interference, reporting mechanisms and strengthening community resilience to foreign interference. Engagement is focused on communities that have raised foreign interference concerns, but is also informed by an understanding of the global and domestic threat environment.
When appropriate, engagement may be jointly conducted by the Department of Home Affairs, the AFP, state and territory police, state and territory officials and DFAT to leverage expertise to amplify messaging. The Department of Home Affairs has engaged with the Ukrainian community at their request, under this program.