In order to provide a greater level of protection for their staff members and parliamentarians, many Australian government departments have made considerable progress in the last decade in the area of parliamentary security. However, with so much legislation and regulations being passed by the government, it has become increasingly important to find ways to improve the security of those involved in parliament, and the way they operate within parliament itself. A review of the security services is one of those measures that can be taken.
Understanding Security
The purpose of a parliamentary security review is to review the security practices of any new member of parliament who comes into parliament, as well as ensuring that existing members are being sufficiently protected. Although the security services are already operating very effectively, there is still room for improvement in this area.
This review will be undertaken by a senior officer within a security service, whose job it will be to ensure that all necessary protections are being provided to its staff members. These officers may be employed by the relevant government department, or appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. It is hoped that this review will help to ensure that the protection provided to members of parliament and other government officials is up to scratch, but with any luck, these officers will also work to improve the overall security practices of other security services throughout Australia.
Reviewing Security Measures
As part of the parliamentary security review, it will be important to consider the use of CCTV cameras and other security devices. Many of the CCTV cameras used by security agencies around the world are capable of transmitting images directly to a computer monitor, allowing a surveillance officer to see what is going on at any given time. As part of the security services’ protection plan, it is hoped that CCTV cameras can help to provide further protection for staff and members of parliament. This may include a CCTV camera positioned at each entrance to parliament, or installed outside parliament buildings.
If a member of parliament is caught outside parliament, this might be enough to cause him or her to be removed from office, or at least forced to resign, however, the security service will need to review the security measures of the area in question. For example, if a member of parliament is caught breaking the law in an area such as a public toilet, but cannot be seen by CCTV cameras, there could be more that an MP can do in order to avoid being caught.
Summary
It is expected that all members of parliament, as well as members of the public, who have access to parliament will be required to wear uniform when they visit parliament, to assist the security services in determining who is inside parliament at any given time. In addition, all members of parliament will be required to provide a photocopying of any documents that they may need to present at the parliament. during proceedings. Finally, security service officers will be expected to review the security measures of the office of every parliamentarian every month, as well as checking the security measures of the offices of every member of parliament within their portfolio.