Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) is a joint committee of the Parliament of Australia which oversees Australia's primary agencies of the Australian Intelligence Community: Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS), the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), the Defence Intelligence Organisation (DIO), the Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation (DIGO), and the Office of National Assessments (ONA).
The Committee, then called the Parliamentary Joint Committee on ASIO, ASIS and DSD, was established pursuant to the Intelligence Services Act 2001[1] and was first appointed in March 2002.
History
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on ASIO, ASIS and DSD (PJCAAD) was established pursuant to the Intelligence Services Act 2001 and replaced the Parliamentary Joint Committee on ASIO (which was established in 1988) and the Joint Select Committee on the Intelligence Services. The PJCIS's purview was expanded from 1 July 2004 to include DIO, DIGO and ONA, following the recommendations of the Flood Inquiry.[2] On 2 December 2005, the name of the Committee was changed to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS).
The members of the first Committee were appointed in March 2002.
Functions
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.
Membership
The Committee consists of eleven members: five from the Senate and six from the House of Representatives. Six members are from the Government and five from the Opposition. Serving ministers are not allowed to be members, but members may previously have held ministerial positions. Members of the committee cease to be members when Parliament is dissolved, and new members are appointed after the new Parliament convenes.
The members of the Committee as at 21 June 2017 were:[3]
- Mr Andrew Hastie MP (Chair) (Lib, Member for Canning, WA)
- The Hon Anthony Byrne, MP (Deputy Chair) (ALP, Member for Holt, VIC)
- Senator David Bushby (Lib, TAS)
- The Hon Mark Dreyfus QC MP (ALP, Member for Isaacs, VIC)
- Senator David Fawcett (Lib, SA)
- The Hon Mike Kelly AM MP (ALP, Member for Eden-Monaro, NSW)
- Mr Julian Leeser MP (Lib, Member for Berowra, NSW)
- Senator Jenny McAllister (ALP, NSW)
- Senator The Hon Bridget McKenzie (Nats, VIC)
- Senator The Hon Penny Wong (ALP, SA)
- Mr Jason Wood MP (Lib, Member for La Trobe, VIC)
See also
Intelligence agencies
- Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
- Australian Secret Intelligence Service
- Defence Signals Directorate
- Defence Intelligence Organisation
- Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation
- Office of National Assessments
Legislation
References
- ^ Intelligence Services Act 2001, s.28
- ^ Report of the Inquiry Into Australian Intelligence Agencies
- ^ Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, Committee Membership
