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Swearing in of Tony Negus APM as Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police |
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Written by Office of the Minister for Home Affairs
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Monday, 07 September 2009 |
Senate Alcove, Parliament House, Monday 7 September 2009, 12.00pm
First, may I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land we meet on – and pay my respects to their elders, both past and present. Specifically to Ruth Bell of the Ngunnawal People , who does us the honour of joining us here today.
The Honourable Kevin Rudd MP, Prime Minister
The Honourable Robert McClelland MP, Attorney-General
The Honourable Malcolm Turnbull, Leader of the Opposition
The Honourable Jeffery Spender, Acting Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia
Commissioner-designate Tony Negus and his family
Commissioners of State Police and senior representatives of the AFP
Ladies and gentlemen
Good morning and welcome to this very important and happy occasion.
In many ways this occasion celebrates Tony’s achievements – and shortly I will ask the Attorney-General to say more about that subject.
This morning also draws our attention to the work of the AFP and its role at home and internationally.
The Australian Federal Police is a great institution – celebrating 30 years of service this year.
Let me say that it’s an expression of our confidence that Tony, who will now become only the sixth AFP Commissioner, will lead the organisation into the next step of its journey as it seeks to preserve our peace and works to ensure this nation’s safety and security.
In my short time as Minister responsible for the AFP it has shown itself to be responsive to the challenges it faces, whether assisting in training its counterparts in Afghanistan, playing a key role in the nation’s largest ever tax fraud investigation, or leading the fight against technology-enabled crime.
Above all it is a law enforcement agency with a reputation for the highest standards of integrity in the way its officers conduct their duties. Its strengths include the capacity to adapt to an ever changing world and to build constructive partnerships.
Great importance has also been attached to training, and the AFP has had a consistent focus on developing highly skilled investigators that are at the ‘cutting edge’ of investigative techniques – work that is, in the main, carried on quietly and efficiently in the background, away from the spotlight.
On many levels these are extraordinary times of some complexity and challenge. That the AFP’s revenue has risen from almost $73 million in its first year of operation to $1.4 billion today is pretty compelling evidence of that fact.
We are very fortunate in Australia to have in the AFP, service and leadership of the highest calibre. Officers who traverse both heroic events and the mundane slog of police work with equal skill and dedication.
The history of Australia’s national policing body is a story of human decency, commitment and excellence.
I know that Tony looks forward to playing his part in all of that, and I would like to call upon the Attorney-General to expand on Tony’s personal qualities and professional achievements.
Thank you Robert
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