Antisemitism inquiry gets full counter-terrorism data

The antisemitism royal commission has once again knocked back a government bid to keep documents about counter-terrorism funding secret.

Evidence about counter-terrorism funding will be delivered to the anti-Semitism royal commission, despite a federal government bid to keep it hidden.

ASIO director-general Mike Burgess gave evidence to the Royal Commission on Anti-Semitism and Social Cohesion in May, but his written statements contained redactions the spy boss said the government had insisted on.

Royal commissioner Virginia Bell rejected the government’s bid to keep them hidden on the grounds of cabinet confidentiality and ruled that the documents would be needed as part of her inquiry.

Ms Bell will examine the evidence, although it will not be made public.

“The topic to which the redacted paragraphs are directed is the question of the allocation of Commonwealth resources to counter-terrorism,” her ruling read.

“Public interest in that limited scope of disclosure … outweighs public interest in maintenance of its strict confidentiality as cabinet information.”

It is not the first time the anti-Semitism inquiry has rejected a bid for cabinet secrecy.

Earlier, Ms Bell ruled documents surrounding ASIO funding levels in the lead-up to December’s terrorist attack would also be required.

That decision was made after the prime minister’s department advised that cabinet processes must be protected.

A government spokesperson insisted it was supporting the commission in its important work.

“Redactions in statements are applied in some circumstances, for example where information is relevant to ongoing criminal proceedings, includes security classified information, and/or information relates to cabinet confidentiality,” they said.

Addressing the commission directly before Mr Burgess gave his evidence, counsel assisting the Royal Commission, Richard Lancaster, noted ASIO’s funding grew from about $560 million to $770 million between 2020 and 2025.

But the proportion of money allocated to the wider national intelligence community – which includes other agencies, the Home Affairs department, and the Australian Federal Police – declined during that period.

In his evidence, Mr Burgess denied ASIO was underfunded.

The royal commission is probing the actions of intelligence agencies and police in the lead-up to the Bondi massacre on December 14.

The inquiry was told there was no evidence any intelligence agency suspected a terror attack would take place before 15 people were killed in the anti-Semitic shootings.

The third block of public hearings will begin on June 29 and focus on the dissemination of anti-Semitic content and hate speech.

By: Alex Mitchell/AAP