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Keenan takes on new terror role

Tom RabeStirling Times

The Stirling MHR was appointed to the new role late last month and is tasked with overseeing the coordination of Australia's intelligence and law enforcement departments.

The national security restructure includes the former ambassador to Iran and Indonesia, Greg Moriarty, being appointed as national counter-terrorism coordinator.

Mr Keenan said the fact the Government was changing Australia's national security dynamic did not indicate anything was necessarily wrong.

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"The threat is unprecedented and we want to make sure that we are doing absolutely everything, that no stone is being left unturned," he said.

"We are doing a lot of things but we need to make sure that all those things are moving in the same direction."

Curtin University senior national security and international relations lecturer Mark Briskey said the restructure would help prevent national security information being "siloed" by individual government agencies.

"It will ensure that they are singing off the same sheet and that all the intelligence is aimed at the objectives that are identified as being most important," he said.

"It's a natural progression. Australia has co-ordinated well interdepartmentally but having one person sitting above the Commonwealth intelligence and law enforcement is a good idea."

Dr Briskey, a former Federal officer based internationally, said Mr Keenan had the experience to perform well in the new role.

"He's shown himself to be a vigorous proponent of law enforcement and he is certainly someone from my perspective who will do well," he said.

Mr Keenan said it was his job to ensure anti-terrorism efforts were well coordinated across the country.