For a year the Government has been refusing to confirm or deny the existence of a ‘Continuity of Executive Government’ Plan for use in the event of a serious national security event; a significant terrorist attack, or a hostile state utilising chemical, biological or nuclear weapons against us.
With the even front cover of the Plan acknowledging its existence is known, we officially have a continuity of secrecy scam.
Front Cover of Continuity of Executive Government Plan (Source: FOI)
When MWM first asked for the document under Freedom of Information (FOI) laws, Michael Crawford, the Assistant Secretary National Preparedness Branch inside the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) refused to acknowledge the plan’s existence.
Reasoning of Michael Crawford (Source: FOI)
When MWM sought an internal review of the FOI decision, Janet Quigley, First Assistant Secretary of the Resilience and Crisis Management Division inside PM&C back the original neither confirm or deny decision.
How knowledge of a Continuity Plan could do anything other than build confidence in Australians that we are prepared for the worse is beyond belief.
National security is important. An essential element of any planning is common sense. Unfortunately, we’ve not seen a lot of that lately.
Rex Patrick’s Federal Court win a victory for transparency and a loss for government secrecy
Rex Patrick is a former Senator for South Australia and, earlier, a submariner in the armed forces. Best known as an anti-corruption and transparency crusader, Rex is also known as the "Transparency Warrior."