Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s weekend ministerial reshuffle has transferred Australia’s domestic intelligence agency, ASIO, from the Department of Home Affairs back to the Attorney-General’s portfolio, exposing underlying tensions within the security community.
The change is the only structural alteration to the machinery of government in the reshuffle, which also moved the home affairs and immigration ministers to other roles. ASIO had been under Home Affairs since 2018, a move it opposed, and the shift continues a process begun in 2022 when Albanese moved the Australian Federal Police back to the Attorney-General’s remit.
Former Attorney-General George Brandis criticised the creation of Home Affairs, claiming it was driven by pressure from then-Immigration Minister Peter Dutton and departmental secretary Mike Pezzullo. Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who created the department, disputed this, asserting in his memoir that the push came from his own department, modelled on UK and US arrangements.
The resulting public disagreement between Brandis and Turnbull highlights lingering political divisions. However, the substantive issue lies in the division of powers: while ASIO’s operational side now reports to the Attorney-General, its warrant applications remain under separate oversight, preserving a check on spying powers.
Albanese’s move addresses ASIO’s long-standing preference but does not fully resolve broader security tensions, as the administrative orders show only partial transfer of responsibility.
