Tony Abbott defends role of Five Eyes intelligence alliance

Prime minister tells reporters in Canada that alliance members should never apologise for ‘doing what’s necessary’

Bridie Jabour

Tony Abbott has defended the role of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance while on tour in North America, saying it should never apologise for “doing what’s necessary”, and confirmed he is hoping to meet Rupert Murdoch in New York.

The Australian leader has arrived in Canada to meet the country’s prime minister, Stephen Harper, a fellow conservative. Canada is part of the Five Eyes alliance along with Australia, England, New Zealand and the US. Abbott declared the US the “heavy lifter” of the group.

Revelations from the whistleblower Edward Snowden have raised controversy about the alliance's activities.

“Obviously we have to be intelligent about our intelligence. I mean that goes without saying, but the important thing is not to be deterred from doing what is necessary to protect our citizens, our interests and our values, and what is sometimes forgotten about the work of the Five Eyes is that it’s not just for the benefit of those five countries but it is ultimately for the benefit of the wider world,” Abbott told reporters in Ottawa when asked if Five Eyes should assess its spying practices.

He added: “Sure, our intelligence gathering has got to be done in a way that is decent and fair and which doesn’t betray the fundamental values that we are doing our best to uphold, but we should never, ever apologise for doing what’s necessary to protect ourselves and to help our friends, and that’s exactly what the Five Eyes arrangements are designed to do.”

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http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/09/tony-abbott-defends-role-of-five-eyes-intelligence-alliance