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Australia's political security landscape has fundamentally changed as multiple Cabinet Ministers now require regular federal police protection on home soil, a stark departure from previous decades of relative safety, according to former Labor Defense Minister Joel Fitzgibbon.
Speaking on Sky News Wednesday, Fitzgibbon said the evolving threat environment represents a concerning shift from Australia's historically peaceful political culture, particularly in the wake of the murder of American political activist Charlie Kirk in Utah.
"I was very fortunate when I was a Cabinet Minister, Defense Minister, never to have any security when walking the streets here in Australia," Fitzgibbon told host Kieran Gilbert. "But regularly now, more than, not just the Prime Minister, but more than one Cabinet Minister regularly have AFP protection here in Australia so it is changing and we need to be forever vigilant."
The former minister's comments highlight a significant escalation in security concerns for Australian political figures, marking what he described as a departure from 124 years of federation largely free from political violence.
Fitzgibbon characterized the Kirk murder as "distressing" and "unacceptable," using the incident to underscore Australia's fortunate position compared to the United States, where two recent assassination attempts targeted President Donald Trump.
"Charlie Kirk was a political activist of course but he was no radical and it's a reminder to us of how fortunate we are here in Australia," Fitzgibbon said. "We've been very fortunate in our 145 years of, 124 years of federation to be pretty much free of that form of political violence."
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Growing Security Concerns
The revelation that multiple Cabinet Ministers now require Australian Federal Police protection represents a marked escalation from traditional security arrangements, where only the Prime Minister typically received such protection on domestic soil.
Fitzgibbon's experience as Defense Minister provides a stark contrast to current conditions. While he required security during overseas travel, particularly in conflict zones like Afghanistan, domestic protection was unnecessary during his tenure.
"Of course, particularly in places like Afghanistan, I always had security, but not here on our home soil," he said.
The former minister expressed concern that Australia's peaceful political tradition may not continue indefinitely.
"It's hard not to be fearful Kieran, that that won't always be so," Fitzgibbon said. "And we should not take that for granted."
His warnings come amid what he described as a "spate" of political violence in the United States, referencing the "shocking development with Charlie Kirk murdered in Utah."
Ghost Shark Submarine Program Praised
Shifting to defense capabilities, Fitzgibbon offered strong praise for the government's Ghost Shark autonomous submarine program, describing it as an exceptional achievement in defense procurement.
"It's a wonderful capability in the maritime domain, Kieran," Fitzgibbon said. "And the most amazing thing about the Ghost Shark is that throughout the pilot projects, it was delivered, I think, ahead of time and maybe under budget, if not on budget. That's pretty rare in the defense capability space."
The former Defense Minister characterized the autonomous submarines as representing "the strictest definition of a force multiplier" for the Royal Australian Navy.
"It enhances our capability very, very substantially," Fitzgibbon said. "It requires limited resources, obviously, being uncrewed."
The program's success stands out in Australia's defense procurement history, which has been marked by cost overruns and delays across multiple projects. Fitzgibbon's assessment suggests the Ghost Shark program represents a significant departure from typical defense acquisition challenges.
Strategic Maritime Enhancement
The autonomous submarine capability will significantly boost Australia's maritime power projection without displacing nuclear-powered submarines planned under the AUKUS partnership.
"It doesn't displace the need for nuclear-powered long-range submarines, but it will facilitate that power we will be able to demonstrate in that maritime domain," Fitzgibbon explained.
The timing of the program's advancement coincides with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's upcoming visit to the United States, where he is expected to meet with President Trump to discuss the AUKUS submarine partnership and broader defense cooperation.
Fitzgibbon's endorsement of the Ghost Shark program provides political backing for the government's defense strategy ahead of crucial international negotiations.
Pacific Security Diplomacy
The former minister emphasized the critical importance of Albanese's current Pacific tour, describing the region as Australia's "eastern backyard" where strategic competition continues to intensify.
"Critically important, the work the Prime Minister is doing in the South Pacific, that part of the world is our eastern backyard," Fitzgibbon said. "And there's reasonable expectations amongst our allies, partners and friends that we should take care of that part of the world and manage it in a strategic sense."
The Prime Minister is currently in the Solomon Islands and will travel to Papua New Guinea next week to ratify a defense treaty marking PNG's 50th anniversary of independence.
Fitzgibbon stressed that "strategic competition is alive and well in the South Pacific" and warned against allowing competitors to gain influence in the region.
"We cannot allow strategic competitors to get a foothold or a larger foothold into that part of the world," he said.
Regional Security Arrangements
Australia's efforts to strengthen Pacific partnerships face ongoing challenges, with security agreements experiencing varying levels of success across different nations.
Fitzgibbon noted that while a Vanuatu security agreement appears to have stalled, positive developments with Fiji suggest potential for expanded security partnerships.
"The Vanuatu security agreement sounds like there's been a bit of a pause on that, although there are positive signs from Fiji now that they might well be willing to have the sort of treaty that we're about to finalize with PNG," he said.
The dynamic nature of Pacific diplomacy requires constant engagement, according to Fitzgibbon.
"Well, it waxes and wanes in the South Pacific a bit, doesn't it, Kieran?" he said. "But it just reminds us how challenging an environment it is and how stiff the competition there is."
Deterrence Strategy
Fitzgibbon emphasized that Australia must maintain strong deterrence capabilities while building partnerships with Pacific nations to prevent strategic competitors from gaining influence.
"We need to be ahead of the game," he said. "We need to be doing more to assist our friends in the South Pacific and we need to be working with them more to ensure that deterrence is the strongest it could possibly be in that part of the world."
The former minister's comments underscore the importance of regular ministerial engagement with Pacific counterparts to maintain Australia's position as the preferred security partner in the region.
"That's why it's so important that the Prime Minister and his ministers, as they regularly do, are there talking with their counterparts and doing all we can to ensure that they look to us as a security guarantor, not to our strategic competitors," Fitzgibbon said.
Broader Implications
Fitzgibbon's assessment reflects growing concerns about Australia's security environment across multiple domains, from domestic political safety to regional strategic competition. His observations suggest that Australia's traditionally peaceful political culture and regional security dominance can no longer be taken for granted.
The convergence of domestic security concerns, successful defense innovation, and intensifying Pacific competition illustrates the complex challenges facing Australian policymakers as they navigate an increasingly contested strategic environment.
The former minister's call for vigilance extends beyond immediate security threats to encompass broader questions about Australia's ability to maintain its preferred strategic position in an evolving regional order.
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