Hope Commission

The Royal Commission on Intelligence and Security, also known as the Hope Commission, was established on 21 August 1974 by Australia's Prime Minister Gough Whitlam to investigate the country's intelligence agencies. The commission was led by Justice Robert Hope. It concluded its work in 1977.[1]

Background

The commission, led by Justice Robert Hope, was established in response to the 1973 Murphy raids on the headquarters of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO).[2]

Findings

On 27 May 2008, the records of the commission were partly released to the public.[2]

In his report, Robert Hope asserted that Australia's intelligence agencies were too close to those in the UK and the US, as part of the five-nation UKUSA Agreement.[3]

As of 2014, many declassified documents authored by the commission remain redacted.[2]

Controversy

Australia's secretary of the Department of Defence, Arthur Tange ordered that the commission "should not be told too much" because this would put the Five Eyes alliance in jeopardy. As a result, the commission was not granted access to the satellite tracking station Pine Gap.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Royal Commission on Intelligence and Security". National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 "Australia's Cold War spooks revealed". Television New Zealand. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  3. ↑ "Robert Marsden Hope and Australian Public Policy" (PDF). Office of National Assessments. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  4. ↑ Dibb, Paul (31 May 2008). "How spies won turf war". The Australian. Retrieved 30 January 2014.

External links

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