Editors --- "Security management a sensitive balance at Australia's most prominent House" [1998] AUFPPlatypus 23; (1998) 60 Platypus: Journal of the Australian Federal Police, Article 2

• A sensitive balance at Australia's most prominent House
• Parliamentary precincts
• Police in the precincts
• State visits
• History of the Security Controller's Office

---

Security management

A sensitive balance at Australia's most prominent House

Federal Agent Graham Taylor completed his two-year tour of duty as security controller at Parliament House in Canberra recently. He will relieve AFP federal agent and UNCIVPOL Superintendent Barry Carpenter in January next year as Commander of the Australian Contingent of the United Nations Forces In Cyprus under the United Nations Civilian Police, to which the AFP sends a contingent every six months.

Federal Agent Taylor joined the ACT Police in 1963 and was promoted to officer rank in the AFP in 1980. He has wide experience in community policing in the ACT as well as in international roles including service in the UNFICYP in 1965/66 during the volatile period of the Makarios Presidency; secondment to the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulatory from 1972-74 to assist with transition from Australian administration to self-government and independence; and service on Christmas Island as Officer-in-Charge where customs, immigration and quarantine duties are performed.

Federal Agent Taylor writes here about the AFP's responsibilities at the ‘House on the Hill'.

The AFP has provided officers on secondment as security controller to Parliament House for more than eight years and those who have held the position have found it interesting, challenging and diversified with the working environment requiring the maintenance of a sensitive balance between public access and protection of the institution.

The security controller's role is to coordinate protective security policy within the parliamentary precincts and to ensure the protection of members, senators, staff, the public, and parliamentary property.

The security controller liaises with the AFP and the Protective Security Coordination Centre, and provides security advice to the presiding officers in conjunction with the Serjeant-at-Arms and the Usher of the Black Rod. Duties of the office include:

• The management of Parliament House security attendants and Australian Protective Service officers to maintain security in accordance with the level of threat.

• The provision of security advice to the presiding officers and senior management.

• The coordination and implementation of security policy, procedures and plans.

• The management of security equipment and asset replacement programs.

• The coordination and implementation of training programs to enhance the effectiveness of security personnel.

• The development and maintenance of networks with police and other security agencies.

Parliament House is built on 32 hectares of land and is oval shaped with lawns covering its roof, leading to a massive flagpole. It is unique and vast, usually taking a new employee at least several weeks to become familiar with its internal layout. The building's design is warm and welcoming, and subsequently, security demands are greater in particular areas.

The Forecourt enclosure contains the ceremonial pond, Aboriginal mosaic and the Great Verandah and is usually the first area seen by visitors. Many ceremonial welcomes have taken place on the Forecourt and under the Great Verandah, among them have been those to USA President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary, Japanese Prime Minister Hashimoto, the People's Republic of China Vice Premier Zhu and Germany's Chancellor Helmut Kohl. The ramps on either side of the Forecourt require high security during such occasions.

The area known as the Foyer is inside the main front doors and features 48 marble-clad pillars designed to resemble a eucalyptus forest, but which also present special security considerations. The Great Hall is entered from the Foyer and is usually the next public area which people visit. It can accommodate hundreds of people and is used for VIP receptions. At one end of the hall is a large tapestry depicting a Western Australian jarrah forst while around the circumference is a balcony from where people can observe the receptions, and once again requires carefully monitored security.

The Chambers of the House of Representatives and the Senate have both private and public areas which are kept secure by Parliament House security attendants. The public galleries are for people to view the parliament. If disruptive behaviour occurs, the offenders may be evicted from parliament without police intervention or the need for further action.

The Members' Hall is situated immediately behind the Great Hall in a non-public area, although it can be viewed from the public area on the first floor. It contains a reflective pool with water flowing over a slab of black granite which muffles members' and senators' conversations. President Clinton signed the Parliament House visitors book in this area during his 1997 visit. Again, the area above the Members' Hall has implications for security.

The other area of significance is the Ministerial Wing. Members of the media assemble outside the entrance to the wing at times seeking interviews. Although an accepted practice provided it is conducted in an orderly manner, from a security perspective it is less than desirable, as members of the public are not excluded and anyone harbouring a grievance could be disruptive.

In the current parliament there are 76 elected senators and 147 elected members of the House of Representatives. Parliament House security attendants must be able to recognise all members and senators as they are not required to wear security passes. Members and senators have offices on either side of the House and may enter the building through any one of five entry points. It is the security attendants' responsibility to provide security to the members and senators whenever they are in the parliamentary precincts.

Parliamentary precincts

The parliamentary precincts area is managed by the presiding officers and includes the land on which Parliament House is built and that extending out to Capital Circle. The Parliamentary Precincts Act 1988 formalises the authority of the presiding officers to manage and control the parliamentary precincts. Sections 8, 9, and 10 of this Act define the role of the AFP, the APS and the Director of Public Prosecutions within the parliamentary precincts. Section 11 defines the parliamentary precincts as Commonwealth land for the purposes of the Public Order (Protection of Persons and Property) Act 1971 which allows the Commonwealth to control and manage activities such as public assemblies, demonstrations and protests within the parliamentary precincts.

The protest area on the northern side of the Forecourt has been designated by the presiding officers as an area where people can hold peaceful protests. Rules have been established which allow police and security personnel to manage protests to ensure they are conducted in an orderly manner and in accordance with the dignity of parliament. These rules were developed several years ago after the area had become disorderly and a tent city had evolved. Police experienced difficulties moving the semi-permanent occupants and large, unsightly structures such as the ‘Trojan horse'.

Police in the precincts

The relationship between the AFP and the parliament is determined by the Australian Constitution, which provides for the separation of powers between the parliament and the executive. Police, as agents of the executive, have no special rights or privileges within the precincts. The situation is best summarised by an excerpt from the House of Representatives Practice which states:

"For most practical purposes, Parliament House is regarded as the only place of its kind, and one in which the two Houses through their presiding officers have exclusive jurisdiction. Thus in parliament, the police are subject to the authority of the Speaker and President and their powers are limited by the powers and privileges of the respective Houses."

Police have no power to enter Parliament House in the ordinary course of their duties without the consent of at least one of the presiding officers, in practice conveyed through the Serjeant-at-Arms, the Usher of the Black Rod or the security controller. The relationship between the AFP and the parliament is specified in a Memorandum of Understanding between the presiding officers and the minister responsible for administering the Australian Federal Police Act 1979 and, in principle, translates into a range of practices which includes: the surrender of weapons upon entry to Parliament House unless otherwise approved by the presiding officers; seeking formal permission to enter the building when performing escort duties; refraining where practical from the serving of process within the precincts; and, seeking approval from the presiding officers before conducting investigations within the precincts.

State visits

The office of the security controller oversees security for many high profile visitors each year ranging from heads of state and heads of government to junior ministers and various other internationally protected people. Procedures for the protection of foreign dignitaries have changed in recent years and now focus not only on physical security but also on protection of dignity.

The protection of dignity has developed as a result of various minor incidents involving visitors from overseas which, although not threatening their safety, have undermined potential achievements in areas such as trade and sensitive diplomatic issues. Provision of protection has become increasingly complex because it involves a large range of highly interpretive factors such as cultural sensitivities, political robustness and specific sensitivities which may prevail at any given time. Security must also be balanced against matters such as the right of the Australian community to protest.

Security management of VIP visits involves stages including liaison with external agencies such as the PSCC, which coordinates arrangements at a national level between police, intelligence services, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and representatives of the visiting dignitary.

History of the Security Controller's Office

Security at Old Parliament House was minimal with perhaps one police member at the main entrance and one in the gallery on sitting days and signs which requested members of the public to remain outside private areas of the building. This system was extremely cost effective and generally was adequate to resolve most security problems of that time. Like many other police who performed duty at Old Parliament House in the 60s and 70s, I have memories of all-night sittings when very little of a security nature happened. Occasionally, someone would call out from the public gallery and on one or two rare occasions someone jumped from the public gallery onto the chamber floor.

Sitting times have changed significantly with the latest times now until 11pm on Mondays and Tuesdays and 8pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Towards the end of sitting periods or on exceptional occasions, times may be extended to enable parliament to complete its business. During my time as security controller, I was required to stay until 4am only once, and I attended a parliamentary sitting one Saturday morning when the controversial Wik debate continued into the weekend.

The approach to security at Old Parliament House was upgraded in 1973 after an improvised explosive device was detonated in front of the building, prompting a review which recommended the adoption of a security pass system designed to regulate access to the building.

Further improvements were implemented slowly until 1978 when Australia experienced a terrorist bomb attack at the Hilton Hotel in Sydney during the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. The incident proved to be a galvanising factor for security and counter-terrorism policy in Australia. Soon after, the present security organisation within Parliament House began to take shape, starting with the appointment of a full-time security controller. There was a succession of civilian security controllers, each making progress towards the implementation of a coordinated security policy.

Over the years, fine tuning of procedures has led to improvements which have seen a reduction in the number of security personnel.

The parliament decided in 1991 that an AFP officer should be seconded to work with parliamentary officers and security personnel, with each secondment to be for a period of two years.

There have been three AFP security controllers in this time and each has experienced at least one major incident during their secondment. Superintendent Tony Curtis had to contend with an incident where a four-wheel drive Pajero was driven through the main front doors of Parliament House and into the Great Hall. This was a catalyst for a review of security with one of its main recommendations being that bollards should be constructed between the columns under the front verandah to prevent vehicles driving through. Interestingly, the man accused of that offence was involved in several other security breaches at Parliament House, among them, driving his vehicle into the Ceremonial Pond in 1994 and throwing a brick into security equipment at the main front entrance in 1996. The latter incident resulted in a restraining order being taken out against him in the ACT Magistrate's Court and since then he has not returned to Parliament House, although has been arrested elsewhere in Australia for causing damage to public buildings.

Superintendent Don Holmes had to handle a blockade of Parliament House for six days when timber workers surrounded the area with their logging trucks. Afterwards, the Parliament House Contingency Plan was amended to prevent further blockades.

I was the security controller on August 19, 1996 when 20,000 unionists assembled in front of Parliament House. Some of the more unruly members forced their way through the main front doors and ransacked the bookshop. About 40 people were arrested but were released, and after a prolonged investigation 11 people were charged in court for trespass and for causing damage to Parliament House. The incident resulted in a further review of parliamentary security and a recommendation to strengthen vulnerable areas of the building.

Parliament House security has improved in the past 30 years from a heavy reliance on informal security to a formal, yet flexible, arrangement supported by legislation through Memoranda of Understanding. The arrangement strikes an appropriate balance between what has been determined to be a reasonable response to any perceived risk to the parliament, and the right of the public in a democracy to have access to their elected representatives. Currently, the balance between public access and security is appropriate, however, events such as the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games will attract more visitors to the House, and so arrangements will require ongoing assessment. A $10million upgrade of security equipment is now underway and will be completed by the time the Games are held.

Finally, the professionalism and dedication of the staff attached to the security office is an integral part of security management and security controllers rely on them strongly for their support and valuable contribution.