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Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has broad control over Australia's national security agencies.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The ASD would still primarily work for Defence,but"there will be an element of ASD which will be very important,crucial,in joining as part of investigations,counter-terrorism effort and the rest of it - so a greater domestic focus than they've had in the past",Mr Dutton said.

He said that agency was already used on Operation Sovereign Borders to counter people-smuggling.

Under the Intelligence Services Act,the ASD needs a ministerial authorisation to produce intelligence on an Australian citizen or which is likely to have a direct effect on an Australian citizen. Mr Dutton said its stronger domestic role would be legally sound.

The new portfolio,which represents a strong promotion for Mr Dutton in becoming Australia's political czar for national security,will put security agency ASIO,the AFP,the Australian Border Force,the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and financial intelligence agency AUSTRAC into one portfolio. It will also bring in the former Immigration Department.

Despite his conservative leanings,Peter Dutton has been a key backer of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.Credit:Andrew Meares

The aim is for better strategic co-operation and co-ordination.

"You can wait for a royal commission with recommendations after a terrorist incident has happened,which inevitably will tell you that the agencies should've shared that piece of information or that snippet of intelligence,and ... possibly that the event would've been thwarted had there been closer cooperation ... or you can pre-empt that and you can iron out the difficulties,have the agencies working as efficiently as possible,"Mr Dutton said.

Senior bureaucrat Michael Pezzullo will head the new portfolio.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

He said that terrorism was the number one priority and agencies had understandably concentrated their resources in that direction but added that,as a consequence:"I think we're well and truly underdone in terms of our counter-espionage effort."

"So I think we need to continue to push harder on the counter-espionage side and ... certainly in terms of organised crime,again given the level of importance,"he said.

Christian Porter,in his new role as Attorney-General,will retain the first law officer role of signing ASIO warrants.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

"I think that means we need to have a greater investment over time and I think there's certainly a desire to put the argument and to fight for that extra funding and that extra resource."

Mr Dutton's new department will be headed by the senior bureaucrat Michael Pezzullo who has developed a reputation for toughness as a defence official and in his current role as head of the Immigration Department.

He dismissed the idea that his new role would unleash a wave of national security toughness,saying the same checks and balances in the Australian democratic system would remain.

"There's a lot of opinion out there and a lot of it coloured for different reasons and beliefs may be based on Operation Sovereign Borders,a cancellation of visas. We won't be putting forward any legislation that doesn't get the balance right between making sure the law enforcement agencies have got appropriate powers and the requisite protections for Australian citizens. We're not going to put forward bills that don't get the balance right,"he said.

Mr Dutton said having Attorney-General Christian Porter retain the first law officer role of signing ASIO warrants was"an important separation of function"and"an important check and balance".

ASIO and the AFP will remain independent statutory agencies. ASIO has traditionally stood somewhat apart from rest of the national security and intelligence establishment.

Mr Dutton said"ASIO's streak of independence is important".

"But I think that the Home Affairs portfolio will see them more closely aligned with the other agencies in the portfolio,"he said.

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