The architecture of intelligence: public governance of the secret state in Australia, New Zealand and Canada

Abstract

The use of clandestine intelligence is a crucial part of a democratic government’s efforts to protect its citizens and its interests, however it is also one of the most politically and operationally sensitive areas of government activity. How do states ensure coherence across their national intelligence effort? Gaining a better understanding of an intelligence community gives us a better understanding of the government it serves, and visa versa. While there has been much written about the intelligence agencies in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, the interdepartmental architecture that governs the national intelligence effort in each state has gone relatively unstudied. There is value in examining this architecture individually, and comparatively. Through detailed organisational analysis, it is concluded that the core conventions of the Westminster system, specifically collective ministerial responsibility and a professional public service, work to reinforce coherence in all three intelligence communities. However, the coherence in each community is also affected by the national culture towards intelligence, which manifests itself through differing approaches to ministerial accountability in each community.