Homeland Insecurity

The Howard government’s appointment of Major-General Duncan Lewis in 2004 to head the National Security Division of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet received little critical comment. But it should have been subjected to a great deal of public scrutiny, investigation, and reflective consideration. It was the first time a senior military officer had been appointed to take over the running of a key policy advising agency this close to the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Just because he is now generally referred to as ‘Mr’ in his new capacity does not negate his background, training, interests, and the significance of his appointment. If the government had wanted a ‘Mr’ to begin with, it would have gone to the civilian civil service, instead of to the military. This journal article is available in Illawarra Unity Journal of the Illawarra Branch of the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History: http://ro.uow.edu.au/unity/vol6/iss1/3