The Independent Security Monitor’s unfinished work

  The federal government’s plan to abolish the permanent security oversight body is based on a flawed reading of its role, argue Jessie Blackbourn and Nicola McGarrity. WHEN Tony Abbott outlined the content of the government’s first “repeal day” – “the biggest bonfire of regulations in our country’s history” – the list contained plenty of anachronisms long overdue for abolition. Films will no longer have to be reclassified for every format in which they are issued, businesses will only need to apply once for approval to use agricultural and veterinary chemicals, and job agencies will no longer have to keep paper records for every applicant. But among these obvious targets, the prime minister also introduced legislation to abolish the office of the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor, established by the Labor government in 2010. Read the full articl