There is an episode of political satire The Hollowmen in which a counter-terrorism review concludes there are too many agencies and some should be scotched or merged.
What follows is an unedifying inter-agency bunfight in which patriotism and the national interest are parlayed and the "political" outcome is a net addition of one via a new agency to better "co-ordinate" the myriad competing silos of power.
Sound familiar? On Monday, Tony Abbott struggled to explain, in any sort of convincing detail, the role and functions of his new National Counter-Terrorism Co-ordinator, Greg Moriarty. Nor could he explain the interplay between the existing National Security Adviser located within the Prime Minister's Department, and that of the new post – also within what Mr Abbott proudly called "my department, the Commonwealth's principal co-ordinating department".
Now, nobody should doubt the merits of Mr Moriarty's appointment per se, nor frankly, the Prime Minister's sincerity on matters of national security.
But the absence of any real justification of this new post does rather suggest it is more window dressing than serious improvement. And an absence of details is just the start of it. Other questions abound.
Why, if the task of governmental co-ordination is so critical, will there be two co-ordinators, both with ambiguous roles vis-a-vis each other, and both with contestable lines of authority over senior and highly regimented services such as the Australian Federal Police, ASIO, ASIS, and the Defence Department?
And why, if political oversight is also to be truly "beefed up", has Justice Minister Michael Keenan, dubbed "my junior minister" several times by Attorney-General George Brandis, not been given functional responsibility for ASIO – the premier domestic national security agency?
ASIO remains under the firm stewardship of Senator Brandis, from whom came, if we are to believe the story volunteered by Mr Abbott just a little too freely, the suggestion of appointing Mr Keenan as Special Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Counter-Terrorism.
Senator Brandis' happiness at having his "junior" Justice Minister elevated to cabinet's national security committee and reporting directly to the PM, appeared fulsome – in its true meaning. And the fact that Mr Keenan will be working directly with Mr Moriarty, also located within the PM's department, has shifted him further from the Attorney-General's purview.
Both Mr Abbott and Senator Brandis did a pretty good version of walking on eggshells explaining what is an even more convoluted arrangement of inter-agency reporting and overlapping responsibilities.
If there are deficiencies in the current arrangements, why not just explain them, and explain why these appointments will make Australia safer? Unless, of course, this was all about the announcement at the start of a week dominated by national security.
