Adviser to three Liberal PMs is the nation's new top spy
A close adviser to three Liberal leaders will be vaulted to the top of the nation’s spy agencies in a cabinet decision that installs one of Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s trusted advisers in the crucial role.
Former national security adviser Andrew Shearer will be the next Director-General of the Office of National Intelligence in a key appointment to oversee the nation’s wider security community.
Andrew Shearer is the new head of the Office of National Intelligence.Credit:Janie Barrett
A former diplomat and intelligence official, Mr Shearer was the national security adviser to prime ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott in a long career before he joined the Morrison government as cabinet secretary.
The decision installs a security chief with strong connections in the United States as well as a background in building stronger ties with Japan and other Asian neighbours over the past two decades.
His move clears the way for Chris Browne, currently the chief of staff to Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, to be named the next cabinet secretary.
The Prime Minister’s office confirmed the appointment to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age and issued a brief statement on Thursday night saying Mr Shearer would start as Director-General in December with a five-year term.
"Mr Shearer has served Australia and its national interests domestically and overseas through a long and distinguished career in national security and intelligence," Mr Morrison said.
He will replace Nick Warner, the first director-general of ONI, which was created in December 2017 as the peak intelligence assessment and coordination agency.
Mr Morrison lauded Mr Warner two weeks ago for serving Australia over four decades in defence and intelligence.
"He’s a great Australian, who has done an outstanding job, spanning some four decades in areas of national security, foreign policy and so many other areas," the Prime Minister said.
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull set up the ONI in a restructure to create a stronger peak group to coordinate the work of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the Australian Secret Intelligence Service, the Australian Signals Directorate and other agencies across several departments.
At the time, Mr Turnbull said the job of the director-general was to "lead Australia’s intelligence community" and coordinate strategy.
Mr Shearer worked in intelligence and foreign affairs before joining Mr Howard's office and becoming national security adviser on issues including the moves in 2007 to establish a "quadrilateral" dialogue between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States.
While the Rudd government froze the quadrilateral effort amid criticism from China at the concept, the dialogue resumed a decade later.
Mr Shearer also served in the Australian embassy in Washington, DC and as Director of Studies at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, before rejoining the government when Mr Abbott became prime minister.
He left Australia after Mr Abbott lost power and became Senior Advisor on Asia Pacific Security at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC.
David Crowe is chief political correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.