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This article analyzes how the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation's mandate evolved to counter foreign interference over time.

July 5, 2026Open Access

How routines shape reform: the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation’s mandate to counter foreign interference

Key Points

This article analyzes how the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation's mandate evolved to counter foreign interference over time.
Comparative analysis of Cold War and 21st century reforms
Examination of political incentives influencing reforms
Assessment of policy routines affecting intelligence reform perception
Recent reforms demonstrate a more coercive approach compared to earlier decades.
Shifts in Australia's foreign relations significantly influenced the nature of these reforms.
Changes during the early War on Terror period reshaped perceptions of necessary reforms against foreign interference.

Abstract

This article examines the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation’s evolving mandate to counter foreign interference, comparing Cold War era reforms with 21st century reforms. It finds that recent reforms differed dramatically from those of earlier decades, taking a more outward-facing and coercive form. This can partly be explained by Australia’s foreign relations and domestic political incentives. However, a key factor is that Australia’s policy routines for intelligence reform changed markedly throughout the early War on Terror years, shaping what reforms were perceived as appropriate and necessary in response to resurgent concerns over foreign interference.

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