Opening Statement from Ms Kathy Klugman, Director-General of National Intelligence
Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee, 9 February 2026
I’d like to start by acknowledging the privilege and responsibility of being appointed as Director-General of National Intelligence. The National Intelligence Community works daily to protect and enhance Australia’s security, our prosperity and our sovereignty – and it is an honour to work with such a dedicated cohort of intelligence professionals. Their work is often unseen, but its impact on Australia’s national security and the wellbeing of our nation is profound.
In early December, my predecessor updated this Committee on Australia’s strategic environment, noting that the Indo-Pacific is now the epicentre of global systemic rivalry; the guardrails separating competition from confrontation and conflict are weakening; and crises are overlapping and intersecting, bringing threats onshore faster.
This summary reflected the considered view of the Office of National Intelligence. Those core judgments still stand even as we see as we see strategic competition intensifying, warning times shortening, complex risks manifesting in new ways, and we see the international environment becoming more characterised by uncertainty and by disorder.
Events of the last two months here and internationally have starkly illuminated these trends. This was tragically seen with the Bondi Beach terrorist attack in mid-December, which saw 15 innocent people killed. I would like to pay tribute to the teams from across the National Intelligence Community – and our law enforcement colleagues – for their tireless efforts in responding to and investigating this terrible attack on our nation.
Beyond Australia, we see friction continuing to build in the international system, including through volatility in the Middle East, Russia’s war on Ukraine, tensions in the South China Sea and pressure around Taiwan. Surprise and rapid change are now more common as the rules-based order comes under much greater strain, increasing the risk of further shocks and of discontinuities. And, as great-power competition pushes more deeply into economic security, supply chains and critical technology, these domains are becoming routine threats of contest.
We also see increasing interstate rivalry both encouraging a greater focus on military power and affecting efforts to forge multilateral solutions, including on climate change and health. Malign state behaviour, often involving collusion with non-state actors, also continues to manifest in espionage, interference, sabotage and political influence operations.
These pressures cumulatively test not only international norms but social cohesion, economic wellbeing and democratic resilience.
In this context, the work of the Office of National Intelligence – and the wider National Intelligence Community – will remain critical to supporting government decision-making, our national security and Australia’s prosperity.
9 February 2026